A 26-year-old teacher lost her life last month while giving birth to her first child, and her family claims it was preventable. 

The family of Amber Isaac says there were signs that she was at high risk, which they claim Montefiore Medical Center ignored. 

Isaac’s family joined members of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York to rally and demand justice. Bruce McIntyre held back tears describing the tragic loss of the mother of his son.

He says they became concerned about Isaac's low platelet levels during her third trimester, but because of COVID-19, they were instead given virtual doctor appointments by Montefiore. 

He says during their April 20 in-office visit, it was discovered that Isaac's levels were dangerously low and she was admitted to the hospital for an emergency cesarean section. He says she died the next day while giving birth to their son. 

Her family believes her death could have been avoided, pointing at what they say is a  long-standing racial disparity in health care for minority women. 

In a statement, Montefiore Medical Center says, "Ninety-four percent of our deliveries are by minority mothers, and Montefiore's maternal mortality rate of 0.01% is lower than both New York City and national averages. Any maternal death is a tragedy. Our hearts go out to Ms. Isaac's family, especially to her mother, our longtime colleague." 

When asked if the family plans to sue, McIntyre declined to comment. He did say he will continue to fight for justice on behalf of himself and his infant son, who now has to grow up without his mom.