- At 30 weeks pregnant, Kiri developed influenza A, pneumonia and a collapsed lung, leaving doctors fighting to save both her and babies life.
- While Kiri was in a five day coma, an emergency C-section delivered baby Luna 10 weeks premature.
- Both Mum and baby made a remarkable recovery.
Here Kiri Sheehan, 29, from North Perth, WA, tell her story in her own words.
Rubbing my hand across my tummy, my eyes suddenly flicked open.
At 30 weeks pregnant with my daughter Luna in August 2024, I’d been admitted to hospital after coming down with the flu.
But instead of feeling my blooming belly, my bump was gone… Where’s my baby? I panicked.
My hubby Scott, then 29, was holding my hand. ‘I thought I’d lost you,’ he said. Confused, I felt like I’d only been out for a matter of minutes.
But, as Scott explained, I’d been in a coma for seven days.
I was in utter shock.
It was the longest I’d been away from my kids, Khadus, then nine, Loki, six, and Ivar, five.
With a breathing tube down my throat, I wasn’t able to talk, but Scott could see the fear in my eyes.
‘Luna’s okay – she’s beautiful,’ he soothed.
Relief washed over me.
Scott and I had dreamed about growing our family for some time, but the journey hadn’t been easy.
We’d loved and lost our fourth son, Eddy, who was born sleeping at 22 weeks in September 2022.
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Discovering we were pregnant two years later felt like a miracle, as if Eddy had sent us another bub to love in his place.
At 10 weeks a blood test confirmed we were expecting a girl.
Thankfully it was a smooth pregnancy and by 29 weeks I was in nesting mode, washing and cleaning, getting ready for our new arrival.
The following week, however, I began feeling unwell with the flu, battling a runny nose and mild cough.
The kids had brought the bug home from school. But while Scott and the littlies recovered quickly, I kept getting sicker.
Using natural remedies such as honey and lemon tea, electrolytes and lots of rest, I hoped it’d pass quickly.
But after seven days I had severe chest pain and was struggling to breathe.
‘I’m taking you to hospital,’ Scott insisted.
At Joondalup Health Campus, WA, doctors discovered I had influenza A.
An X-ray showed I’d developed pneumonia and a collapsed lung.
Then everything suddenly went dark…
READ MORE: ‘Medical miracle: Our boys share a heart’
When I came to, Scott was by my side, and I sensed my girl was no longer inside me.
I was relieved when he explained Luna had been taken to another hospital, after being born via C-section 10 weeks early while I was in a coma.
Scott told me that I’d been placed in a medically induced coma to stabilise my condition, with hopes of keeping our bub safe in the womb, to give her more time to develop.
But doctors soon discovered I’d had placental abruption – where the placenta detaches from the uterine wall before delivery.
As they struggled to keep my bleeding under control, doctors were forced to perform an emergency caesarean to bring Luna into the world safely.
‘They warned me you might not make it,’ Scott tearfully recounted.
While doctors worked to save my life, our precious girl, who weighed a teeny 1.4 kilos, was rushed to the NICU at King Edward Memorial Hospital, a 30-minute drive away.
There they discovered Luna had eye damage due to a lack of oxygen at birth.
Would our girl be blind? I fretted.
They’d brought me out of my coma after five days.
It was a miracle I’d survived the terrifying ordeal.
I’d lost a fair amount of blood, and the flu – which can cause deadly complications for pregnant women – could’ve been fatal.
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I ached to hold my baby girl.
But it was another three days before I was stable enough to meet our miracle Luna.
I travelled by ambulance to the children’s hospital, and Scott placed our girl, who was fitted
with breathing and feeding tubes, on my chest.
‘Mummy’s got you,’ I whispered.
Restrictions meant the boys weren’t allowed to visit.
‘Your brothers can’t wait to meet you,’ I told our sweet bub.
It was heartbreaking going back to the women’s hospital later that afternoon, but it was more reason to get better.
Finally, four days after I’d woken from my coma, I was discharged.
Taking turns caring for the boys at home and visiting Luna in hospital, Scott and I were run off our feet.
A month later, little Luna was strong enough to come home too.
Our normally rowdy boys couldn’t wait to meet the tiniest new member of our family.
‘Can I hold her? Is it my turn?’ they asked, carefully passing her to one another.
Now nine months on, I’m back to my healthy self.
Luna is thriving and meeting all her milestones, and thankfully her eyes have fully recovered.
Seeing the boys, Khadus, now 10, Loki, seven, and Ivar, six, play peekaboo with Luna as she giggles, fills my heart with joy.
Looking back, I wish I’d sought medical advice earlier.
So I’m warning other mums.
I almost lost my life giving birth – and I’m so grateful to be alive.
