Claire Chadwick, a British woman who relocated to Nigeria to begin a fresh chapter with her husband, passed away after losing her unborn child due to septic shock.
Chadwick, 40, was 37 weeks pregnant when the baby died in her womb, her family claims. Ms. Chadwick later developed sepsis, an infection that causes the body to overreact to its presence, and succumbed to septic shock.
The family has yet to disclose the exact place in Nigeria where Chadwick lived, when she died, or the nature of her infection. The Foreign Office of Great Britain confirmed that they were “supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Nigeria.”
According to Chadwick’s sister, Shannon Chadwick, who lives in Newport, Wales, she had a lot of personality. “She was funny, enjoyed dancing and being a bit of a joker,” she told the news site WalesOnline, adding that her sister was outspoken, brave about defending her beliefs, and didn’t care much about other people’s opinions.
Chadwick lived in Cardiff but recently relocated to Nigeria to live with her husband, Ibrahim, whose name has not been disclosed.
The couple has attracted many followers on TikTok and Instagram, where they uploaded various videos regarding their marriage, religion, and food challenges. “She was a woman who lived her life in her own way,” Shannon Chadwick said.
Shannon Chadwick created a GoFundMe campaign titled “Bringing Claire Home” on October 30, raising 10,000 pounds or about $13,000 to cover the costs of repatriating her sister and the baby to the UK. More than 447 contributors have raised over 10,400 pounds so far, exceeding the aim.
The family plans to bury both mother and daughter in South Wales, about 3,000 miles away from Nigeria. Shannon Chadwick said they wished to see them “laid to rest with dignity, surrounded by the family who love them.”
The family is grateful for the response they got from the community and thanks REST, a Welsh charitable group assisting bereaved families whose relatives passed away tragically abroad or suddenly.
Chadwick is survived by her husband, her 19-year-old son, who lives in Wales, and other relatives.
Nigeria records more maternal deaths than any other country. According to a United Nations report published in April 2025, roughly 75,000 women died in Nigeria in 2023 because of pregnancy and childbirth complications, almost 29% of the world total. The report states that a woman in Nigeria has a 1 in 25 chance of dying because of pregnancy and childbirth during her lifetime.
Infections are the third biggest cause of maternal deaths worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, about 11 in every 1,000 women who have a child get an infection that causes organ damage or death. Septic shock may result from untreated infections and lead to organ damage and even death.
