Tragedy as young woman loses her unborn baby and dies eight days later

The family of a young mother who lost her unborn baby and was pronounced brain dead just days later have spoken about their crushing grief.

Olivia Harlow, 25, died eight days after she lost the baby girl she and her devastated partner, Ryan Stephenson, named Adeline. 

In a series of events that have left her family mystified, Olivia went to Royal Brisbane Hospital suffering headaches and blurred vision. 

The mother-of-one, who was 34 weeks pregnant at the time, was told to go home and rest after tests came back clear. 

Stefanie Harlow, Olivia’s sister-in-law, said two weeks later the mum-to-be realised Adeline wasn’t moving and rushed back to hospital on June 16. 

‘They did a scan, bub had passed away,’ Ms Harlow told Daily Mail Australia. 

After giving birth, Olivia stayed in hospital for a few nights before she was given a ‘full bill of health’ and discharged.

However just days later, she returned to hospital and told doctors she still wasn’t feeling well and was suffering intense headaches. 

‘The doctors looked at a scan they had done two weeks prior and said there was nothing to warrant more tests,’ Ms Harlow said. 

‘They said she was probably still stressed from what she had gone through and pretty much sent her on her way. 

‘The next day Olivia was found by her partner in her room unresponsive so they rushed her to the hospital on life support. 

There, they did more scans and found tumours all through her brain. 

‘There was one massive one at the back of her head which was almost the size of two golf balls and it had pushed on her wiring harness which caused her to stop breathing and stopped sending messages to her body to pump blood.’

Scans revealed Olivia was brain dead with her family making the heartbreaking decision to turn off her life support on June 24. 

Ms Harlow said they had been left with more questions than answers. 

‘Her brain has been sent away for further testing, which could take up to two years to get us an answer. We’re kind of stumped as to why she was turned away so many times and no one did anything. We feel like nothing was done,’ she said. 

‘She was only 25, she was otherwise fit and healthy. We shouldn’t have to be in this position where we’re putting her to rest. It’s a bit of a medical mystery. 

‘We questioned the doctors and they said they couldn’t explain it. In 26 days she had nothing and then all of sudden she was riddled (with tumours). 

‘The first scan that they did was low radiation so it wasn’t great quality but it still should have shown something. [The doctors] said that they just can’t explain it, that they’ve never seen anything like it.

‘So the Coroner, unfortunately, hasn’t been able to give us any reports.’

Ms Harlow gave birth to her sixth child, a baby girl, the day after Olivia’s family made the decision to switch off her life support. 

She chose ‘Alivia’ as her daughter’s middle name in tribute to her sister-in-law.

‘I guess I was the big sister to Olivia,’ Ms Harlow said.

‘There’s a nine year gap between her and her brother, so we’re a little bit older than she is but yeah, I remember doing her hair before school.

‘She’d asked me to braid her hair and I would take her to school. I just can’t believe it, no one should ever have to bury their child. I feel really sad that in her final days she lost Adeline and then we we lost her. 

‘I just can’t imagine what her last thoughts were. I don’t even think I can go there.’

Ms Harlow said she wished the family had known about Olivia’s headaches so they could have pushed for more tests to be done. 

‘We feel a bit of guilt, like why didn’t she contact us?’ she said. 

‘We could have pushed a bit harder for a more to be done. Her pain threshold is pretty up there, so for her to be saying something wasn’t right, that’s not her. 

‘She wouldn’t normally complain. So to be essentially turned away three times, given the all-clear, to us that’s not really good enough.’

The family have started a GoFundMe to raise funds for Ryan, who is now raising their four-year-old daughter Evaliah on his own. 

‘He’s dealing with a lot. Everyone’s been really supportive, which has been good  but obviously nothing’s going to bring either of them back,’ Ms Harlow said. 

‘Olivia had the potential to do so many things. She could have done anything she wanted to. Growing up she was athletic, good at school, she did modelling, she was just really perfect and kindhearted. She definitely didn’t deserve what she got.’