Tragedy during childbirth: Single father in Urensky district
Ivan Smirnov with his wife Ksenia before the tragic events
In late November 2025, Ksenia Smirnova was admitted to the Uren Central District Hospital for a C-section during her second pregnancy. During the operation under anesthesia, the woman experienced clinical death, leading to brain damage due to lack of oxygen. She was diagnosed with post-hypoxic encephalopathy.
Since then, Ksenia has been in a vegetative state. Doctors do not give a favorable prognosis and do not rule out that she may remain in this state for the rest of her life.
The patient was transferred from Nizhny Novgorod Oblast to the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center of Resuscitation and Rehabilitation in Moscow. However, even there her condition remains serious, with no visible improvement.
Ivan Smirnov said: «The doctors there also don»t give a prognosis, they say her neurological condition is serious. They«ll keep her there until around mid-February, and then I don»t know what. I need to talk to someone.«
The man is forced to adapt to a new reality. The newborn child was temporarily sent to relatives in another district, and the five-year-old son stayed with his father.
Ivan shared his feelings: «I»m getting used to living without her, but so far it«s not going very well. The older one is with me, for the winter the younger one was placed with my old folks, they manage, but it»s hard for them. The older one, and he«s only 5, periodically asks about his mother and cries. The child is clothed, shod, fed, but has lost his mother. And I myself live as if in a dream, a nightmare.»
After the situation was publicized, investigators opened a criminal case into the improper performance of duties by medical workers at the «Northern MMC». The prosecutor«s office of the Urensky district joined the investigation.
