For KuGompo City born investigative journalist Tarryn Crossman, Undelivered is far more than a true-crime story.
It is a deeply personal account of mothers, grief, loss, and a fight for justice that grew from a six-year investigation into disgraced midwife Yolande Maritz-Fouché.
The book, published by Penguin Random House, follows Crossman’s relentless pursuit of accountability, while placing the devastating experiences of affected families firmly at the centre.
Crossman describes Undelivered as a rare collection of trauma told from the inside by someone who built deep relationships with the women whose lives were altered forever.
The investigation initially sparked from a tip-off alleging Maritz-Fouché was operating outside her scope of practice.
However, the story gained momentum when mother Carien Moller agreed to speak publicly.
Following an initial Carte Blanche exposé, dozens more mothers came forward, exposing a pattern of negligence that had allegedly spanned nearly a decade.
“It was intense. We knew she wasn’t going to stop. It was not about a story you cannot give up on; it was children that we couldn’t give up,” Crossman told the Go! on Tuesday.
Having sat in living rooms with grieving families and witnessed the physical and emotional aftermath, walking away was never an option.
Writing the book allowed Crossman to bypass the rigid time constraints of broadcast journalism and deliver an unvarnished look into the investigation.
The team pieced together complex medical records, nursing council logs, and specialist testimony, all while confronting the lingering self-blame carried by surviving mothers.
Ultimately, Crossman hopes Undelivered serves as a powerful reminder of maternal rights within the healthcare system.
“I hope we hear that birthing belongs to women. It is the mother’s right to decide how to bring a child into the world, and that right needs to be honoured by the healthcare system, immediate family, and the people close to them,” Crossman said.
“Listen to the women, hear them. Don’t disbelieve them until proven right.”
Though she left KuGompo at age 15, bringing the book back to her home province holds immense significance.
She noted that while the region continues to produce industry-defining writers, media personalities, and artists, many feel forced to leave to gain national recognition — a narrative she hopes to challenge.
Crossman will officially launch Undelivered in KuGompo on Saturday August 29, at Bargain Books in Hemingways Mall. The launch marks an opportunity to share a story of national importance, while honouring the mothers and children at its heart.
