Benedict Student Found Dead, Identified

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Thursday afternoon, Benedict college released the name of the female student found dead on campus this week. 

According to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts, Ayaanah Gibson, a freshman chemistry major from California, died from blood loss after giving birth to a stillborn child. 

Dr. Sarah Smith, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at USC, in general terms, a mother bleeding to death during birth is not out of the norm. 

“It is one of the leading causes of death in this country and in the world, of maternal deaths,” says Smith.

Gibson was reportedly thirty-two weeks pregnant at the time she delivered the baby in her single-room dorm.

Watts says if she had sought medical attention, he is fairly certain she would’ve survived. 

Smith says a delivery in a hospital setting drastically increases a mother’s chance of survival, even if they hemorrhage. 

“If a patient starts to bleed, we have a whole arsenal of medications that we can use to stop bleeding if they are to have excessive bleeding. If that doesn’t stop the bleeding, we have surgical intervention that we can do,” says Smith. 

Back on campus, Benedict College paid tribute to Gibson during Fall Convocation. Earlier this week, the school released a statement, “The Benedict College family is deeply saddened about the unexpected loss of one it’s students. Please join the Benedict College family in praying for our fallen Tiger and her family.”

With this particular case, it is important to note that we do not know if Gibson did or did not call for help or why.

Watts says the child was born a stillborn and it appears to have been a natural birth.