THE family of a young mother are demanding answers over why she collapsed and died suddenly just three weeks after giving birth.

Bethany Barker, 20, had been discharged from hospital just five days before her death, after being admitted with pneumonia and suspected blood clots.

The Darlington FC fan’s family said she had previously been treated for sepsis, along with her baby girl, after giving birth at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton on August 6.

But her exact cause of death is not yet known, and her family feel she has been let down by the system.

Miss Barker, from Thornaby, was readmitted to North Tees on August 17, treated for pneumonia and was discharged on August 23 – but on August 29 she collapsed at her partner’s parents’ home and, despite medical staff's efforts to revive her, was pronounced dead in hospital.

Bethany's death has left a hole at the centre of her family.

Her family, including aunt and uncle Peter and Gillian Cox and grandmother Kathleen Charlton, who all helped to bring her up, still do not know exactly how the Quakers fan died.

She had a severe infection after giving birth to the baby on August 5 and both mother and baby were kept in hospital for six days following the birth to be treated for sepsis.

Within a week of being discharged Bethany, from Thornaby, was back in hospital again with pneumonia and suspected blood clots, but her family say she never had a scan to check for blood clots.

Mrs Cox, who was away in Cyprus at the time, said: "She had called me when she was in hospital saying she thought she was going to die because her heart rate had gone up to 125 bpm while resting. Two days later she phoned and said she was going home.

"But the day before she died she phoned me and said, Aunty Gill I feel terrible. I told her to phone the doctor. She said the people at the hospital told her she would get worse before she got better."

But Mrs Cox said she collapsed and died the next day.

"How can a vibrant, happy, loving, caring person can be allowed to die in the way she has?

"What I want to know is, if a doctor sent her in for a blood clot, then why wasn't she scanned for a blood clot? Why wasn't she given warfarin as a precaution?

The family believe that a post mortem found Bethany had many blood clots but they are not sure of a cause of death yet. Teesside Coroner's Office said it was still investigating and it is unclear whether an inquest would be opened. A post mortem report had been inconclusive, the family said.

Bethany was a huge Darlington FC fan and had been going to matches with her uncle Peter Cox since the age of four.

He said: "People would have known her to look at because she had very long, red hair. She was bubbly and would light up the room. She was laid back, would keep the peace."

Her grandmother Kathleen Charlton added: "She had this giggle, she laughed so much that when she was pregnant I would say to her, you are going to laugh that baby out."

Bethany was buried in her Quakers shirt and former players Leon Scott and John McReady, along with other Darlington FC officials, attended her funeral. The club also held a minute's applause in tribute to the superfan at last Saturday's Telford game.