Mourning loss of adult child

Patterson native Shanqualla “Shaq” Turner Thompson, 26, lived her life in the moment, enjoying the finer things in life. Her life was cut short at a young, vibrant age.

Thompson died April 2. According to the coroner, the cause of Thompson’s death is undetermined.

And although the death is puzzling to her mother, Patterson Councilwoman Sandra Turner, she believes it was predestined.

Thompson enjoyed traveling and loved expensive purses and shoes.

And she had no qualms about expressing her views and getting people to see another perspective, her parents Ronnie and Sandra Turner said.

Thompson was the middle child of Ronnie and Sandra. She had an older sister, Tina Johnson, 31, and a younger brother, Javin Turner, 14. Both siblings live in Patterson.

For eight years, the Turners have hosted a family event for Mother’s Day. It’s a day to honor mothers who have passed away. Part of the observance is a balloon release.

This year, the family honored Thompson.

Turner kept herself busy tending to the needs of family members during the event. But on most days, she tried to have things to do.

It helps to keep her mind occupied and not focused on why her daughter had to die.

“This year was a little bit sad because they dedicated the balloons to Shaq,” Turner said. “And they spelled out her name, releasing them into the air.”

Troubled pregnancy

Turner and her husband placed flowers on the gravesite of their mothers. They also placed flowers on their daughter’s grave.

Thompson was 16 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Even though Thompson lost the baby, she was still a mother, Turner said. The treatment to try to save Thompson’s life caused the death of the baby.

Six weeks into Thompson’s pregnancy she was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum.

Hyperemesis gravidarum causes extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, which can lead to dehydration, weight loss and electrolyte imbalances, according to the National Institute of Health.

It can cause the loss of more than 5 percent of body weight. It may happen during any pregnancy.

Shaq lost 41 pounds and went to the emergency room nine times.

She made six visits to Ochsner Hospital in Baton Rouge. Her last three visits were at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.

Thompson’s life insurance company will not pay because her cause of death was listed as undetermined.

Thompson and her husband of two years, Travis, were building their dream home in Gonzales.

The couple was living in Belle Rose with Thompson’s mother-in-law until the house was completed.

No answer

“The last night that I talked to her was that Wednesday night,” Turner said. “She went to the emergency room at Thibodaux Regional.

“I didn’t talk to her. She just texted to tell me she was at Thibodaux Regional and they’re checking her out.”

At the time, Turner was at a funeral. Afterward, Turner texted her daughter and didn’t get any word. My daughter ended up saying, ‘They’re giving me fluids.’”

Turner did not call after the funeral because she figured her daughter would be tired or sleeping.

“I decided since she was at the hospital, I’m sure she’ll just call us if they keep her,” Turner said. “But she didn’t.”

Turner called her daughter at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday and she didn’t answer. Turner then texted her and still she didn’t respond.

“I’m like, ‘This is crazy. Why is she not calling or texting me back?’”

Turner called her again at 11:30 a.m., and she didn’t answer. Her mother texted her, “Shaq, you’ve got to text me or call me back because I’m worried. I don’t know what’s going on.”

Turner called her son-in-law at work around 12:30 p.m. and asked what was going on. Turner continued to say how Shaq was not returning calls or texts.

“It’s not like her,” Turner said. “But she was just to the point where ‘I don’t feel like talking.’”

Turner’s son-in-law told her Thompson’s response was the same with him and he had been calling her, too.

Turner told Travis something has to be wrong because both of them are calling and there was no response.

“Something was wrong,” Turner said, “and I felt it.”

Thompson had been released from the hospital on the day she was admitted. She was given fluids at the hospital and released.

Thompson’s sister-in-law took her to the hospital. She entered the hospital walking but she left the hospital being rolled out in a wheelchair. She was very weak after receiving fluids.

Travis called and asked his mom, Sharon Thompson, to go check on Shaq. His mom called Turner and said “I found Shaq and she’s not responding.”

But at some point Thompson woke up breathing fast and it remained that way as they arrived at the hospital.

When Turner and her family arrived at the hospital, they were asked a lot of questions.

“He basically said, ‘I’m going to be frank with you all,’” Turner said. “‘That woman is sick. She’s sick. And I’m going to just tell you, she’s dying.’

“What do you mean she’s dying?” Turner said. He said, “She is, she’s dying. I’m here to ask questions because I don’t know what’s going on with her.’”

The doctor informed the family that Thompson would be put on a ventilator. The ventilator was to help slow down the breathing and figure out what was going on.

She was given antibiotics because her body was reacting as if it were infected. But there was nothing found in the bloodwork.

The doctors initially did not want to scan the body because they did not want to harm the baby. But in order to figure out what was happening, a scan needed to be done.

Travis Thompson had to make the decision between his wife and child. He chose to try and save the life of his wife.

Shaq’s vitals started dropping. She went into kidney failure. Her condition began to deteriorate rapidly.

“It was just horrible,” Turner said. “He didn’t take one second to think about the baby,” Turner said. “He was like, ‘I can’t miss something I never had. Please save my wife.’”

The doctors worked on her Friday. Saturday morning, she passed away.

Turner reflected on conversations with Thompson about solutions to ease her discomfort during the pregnancy and recalled her daughter saying, “I’ll get through it.”

“… That’s her,” Turner said.

Shaq had an obstetrician and a midwife assigned to her.

The Turner family’s faith in God sustains them all. It has not been easy but acknowledging there is a higher purpose for it all keeps them in peace.

Thompson’s father wishes God could have taken him instead of his daughter.

“Some things are just predestined and it’s going to happen the way it happens no matter what we do, Sandra Turner said.

“But I have to believe it was predestined because how do you (God) give life when you have control of life and death and you take two. There’s a reason. There’s a purpose for that.”

Thompson was a graduate of Patterson High School and Nicholls State University. She was one semester short of completing her graduate degree in public relations at Southern University.

The Shanqualla Turner Thompson scholarship is being set up by the Turner family.