Thai dancer dies after 6-months in a coma following MASSAGE

A PREGNANT dancer tragically miscarried and died six months after she fell into a coma while having a foot massage in Thailand.

Cops accused the masseuse of “acting negligently” as Wirawan Kedkesri, 25, suffered a stroke and cardiac arrest following treatment on her feet and lower legs.

Mother-of-one Wirawan had visited a shop in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on January 11 for the massage, but she lost consciousness half-way through the treatment.

While the dancer and part-time model was being rushed to hospital, she suffered a stroke and a cardiac arrest in the ambulance, causing her to lose her baby.

Wirawan had been placed in a coma, and kept alive on a life-support machine ever since, with her five-year-old son, Nong, and other relatives keeping a vigil by her side.

Her uncle, Chaiwat Khamya, said last week there was no hope that his niece would wake up as she had failed to show any sign of recovery.

She was pronounced dead on Friday, July 19, after her life support machine was turned off.

Chaiwat told reporters: “Wirawan didn’t show any sign of consciousness after the miscarriage and it’s been six months now.

“It was a very difficult decision to make, but she is at peace now.”

Officers from the Phu Ping Palace Police station said they are filing new charges against the masseuse, Suthanya Kawee, who was treating Wirawan at the time.

Cops said staff at the shop should not have given her the massage, as it posed a health risk during pregnancy.

Lieutenant Colonel Amornchai Trangwatcharakul said: ”In January, the masseuse was charged with acting negligently and injuring other people.

”Now, we’ll collect the medical documents as evidence before charging her for acting negligently and causing death to other people.”

CCTV footage from the shop on the day Wirawan collapsed shows the model arriving for her massage.

When she later lost consciousness, staff performed CPR before paramedics arrived.

Wirawan miscarried as her unborn baby suffocated because she was not breathing on the way to the hospital.

Doctors diagnosed Wirawan as having suffered a pulmonary embolism and an ischemic stroke, where arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked.

As a result she was declared “brain dead”, with her family keeping vigils around the hospital bed.

Police initially dismissed the incident as a private dispute between her family and the massage parlour, but after her coma was publicised in the local media, they began investigating in February.

Marut Jitchedsiri, the director of Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, said that massages on a pregnant woman should be done by Thai massage specialists only.

He said: “Thai traditional massage is helpful for pregnant women. It makes infants stay in the proper position and makes the childbirth safe to both.

“In Wirawan’s case, we have to check if the masseuse is really a specialist. Because specialists have the ability to notice if the customer is physically stable enough to have a message or not.”

Complementary therapies during pregnancy

The NHS advises that, “in general, you should avoid taking any unnecessary medicines or treatments when you’re pregnant.

“There are very few high-quality studies into the effectiveness of complementary or ‘alternative’ treatments.

“And anything you take into your body can affect your unborn baby.”

It says, though, that there is “some evidence” to support the use of massage and aromatherapy for treating anxiety, or acupressure and ginger for morning sickness.

But, “there are still times during pregnancy when they may not be safe.

“For example, your abdomen should not be massaged during the first three months of pregnancy.”

The NHS recommends mums-to-be considering complementary therapy to tell their GP or midwife.

And “if you then decide to use a complementary therapy, you should always consult a qualified practitioner”.

The service stresses that this type of therapy, and alternative medicine “can’t replace conventional antenatal care.

“It’s important to attend regular antenatal check-ups throughout your pregnancy.”