she wasn’t “apparently healthy” since she became ill - illness doesn’t just spring up inyou instantaneously.
Um. No. Preeclampsica is not a “chronic illness” that develops over time. Rather it is a pregnancy complication for which the symptoms can come on very suddenly prior to or shortly after giving birth.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/preeclampsia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355745
While it can occur in women who already have a history of HBP or who are obese or have had prior pregnancies with preeclampsia, it can also happen to women who are perfectly healthy and have had no HBP readings or protein in their urine during pregnancy. Yes, it can “spring up” very suddenly as it did with my nephew’s wife with her first baby, it didn’t come on until she was in full labor (although she did experience some swelling around her ankles, this is often normal and while can be a sign of preeclamsia, that alone is not necessarily a sign for great concern).
In the past it was not unusual for women to die as a result, of course back when, there was a high mortality rate for mothers and often their baby’s from birth complications and there was no treatment for it or way to detect its onset early as there is today in most cases.