Tragic Story of Mum Who Gave Birth Whilst in a Coma With the Flu

A Perth mum who gave birth in a coma after contracting flu while pregnant has spoken of how she feels ‘robbed’.

Byford mother Gillian Wright can’t remember her daughter’s birth, because she was in an induced coma at Armadale Hospital.

She hadn’t had the flu vaccine and was in a coma for eight days before finally meeting baby Kayleigh, who was delivered via an emergency C-section and was also born with the flu.

“I felt quite robbed,” Gillian told 7NEWS.

“I felt like I missed out on the first important things, like meeting her, giving birth … it wasn’t nice knowing she was sick and I couldn’t be there for her.”

When Gillian came out of her coma, she thought only 24 hours had passed.

Her baby was in ICU for more than a week, and could only have limited contact with her father, who wasn’t allowed in the operating theatre during the emergency delivery.

“They actually told my husband, I think it was two or three times, to prepare for the worst, because we don’t think she’s going to make it,” Gillian said.

Gillian is now warning others and says she wishes she had a flu shot.

“I don’t think I would have been as sick as I was if I’d had mine done,” she said.

Share your comments below

16 Comments

- - skbou said
  - 21 Jul 2019
    10:14 pm
Scary situation and sad that she missed that time with bub when they both needed each other but the joy of knowing you’ll still be there for your bub (and of course yourself!!)? ….that’s hopefully what she’ll work her way around to thinking.

- - Blossom said
  - 20 Jul 2019
    3:02 pm
They never put a patient into an induced coma unless it is absolutely necessary. Obviously they needed to make sure she didn’t move at all whilst in such a critical condition. The Dad had come into contact with flu so the hospital staff would take precautions to make sure he couldn’t “pass it on” at all. With some medical conditions a person can be a “carrier” but not develop the problem him / herself. Had they not delivered the baby by c-section Kayleigh probably wouldn’t have had a chance of survival at all.

- - becstalou said
  - 04 Jul 2019
    8:10 pm
Scary to think how easily this could happen. Luckily it ended with both surviving.

- - mom206279 said
  - 02 Jul 2019
    11:08 am
She’s lucky to be alive.

- - mom129591 said
  - 02 Jul 2019
    10:26 am
We can all learn something from this. It is important to keep yourself immune as much as possible.

- - mom160421 said
  - 30 Jun 2019
    8:33 pm
She’s very lucky she and her baby are alive and recovering.

- - nealsq said
  - 30 Jun 2019
    4:15 pm
you can feel robbed or you can feel relieved, change the way you think are you a victim or a survivor. You or your baby could have died, it does suck the delivery was not what you hoped but your baby is here and well now. (I also felt robbed after my two premature emergency births but changed my way of thinking)

- - mom101628 said
  - 29 Jun 2019
    10:14 pm
Understand how she feels – however she should also be thanking her lucky stars that both she and her baby are alive and well considering what may have happened.

- - Ellen said
  - 29 Jun 2019
    5:53 am
I can imagine she has the feeling she missed out on something very special. Hope she sees the positives; she’s alive and her baby is alive !

- - rnash02 said
  - 29 Jun 2019
    12:22 am
That would be very scary and heart breaking.

- - mom265671 said
  - 28 Jun 2019
    10:58 pm
So important yet so many people think its bad.

- - BellaB said
  - 28 Jun 2019
    7:07 pm
Things like flu shots are even more important when pregnant.

- - serotonin said
  - 28 Jun 2019
    6:58 pm
I guess this is why they have free flu shots for pregnant women. Or at least recommend them. It’s really scary to know that the flu can be that life threatening.

- - ashna9 said
  - 28 Jun 2019
    6:28 pm
How traumatic but it was what was best for the baby.

- - Mum2archer said
  - 28 Jun 2019
    2:49 pm
Having the flu shot while pregnant in my opinion is very important, and that is exactly why I got mine done, because I didn’t want o risk my health or bubs health. While she feels robbed off the experience, I guess the thing she needs to take from this is that she IS alive and can now be there for her baby. It could have been so very different

- - DaffyD said
  - 28 Jun 2019
    12:30 pm
Sad to miss her birth but lucky not to lose her life and never meet her bub