Mom Who Died, May Have Got The Disease From Her Unvaccinated Toddler

Mum who died from pneumoccocal may have caught it from her unvaccinated toddler




A pregnant mother who died after giving birth to her second child may have caught the disease that killed her from her unvaccinated toddler.

Imogen Petrak from the Gold Coast was rushed to hospital after falling ill with a suspected ear infection which turned out to be pneumococcal disease.

Her son JB was just 17-months when she died and had himself been sick in the days before her death.

Related video: Dr Ric Gordon talks about Australian vaccinations

Doctors have confirmed the 35-year-old died from pneumococcal 19F which is covered by the pneumococcal vaccine given to children at two, four and six months, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The disease is highly contagious.

Pneumococcal was added to the National Immunisation Program Schedle in 2004 which lead to a dramatic decrease in deaths from the disease.

Imogen was 36-weeks pregnant when she arrived at hospital complaining of pain in her ear. This infection travelled to her brain, causing severe swelling, leaving the young mum fighting for her life.

An emergency c-section was performed and baby Eleanor was born a month early.

Sadly Imogen died as a result of "catastrophic brain damage", leaving behind husband John, 17-month-old son JB and her daughter Eleanor whom she never got to meet.



Imogen with husband John and son JB.

The devastated husband was left to post a simultaneous birth and death notice on his personal Facebook page.

"Today was a very bitter sweet day," he began.

"At 12.11am Eleanor Lillian Joy, my first daughter and second child, was born via emergency caeser. Then some time after 5pm, my beautiful wife of three years died from a complication from an ear infection.



Eleanor shortly after her birth via emergency c-section. Image: GoFundMe

"I have been surrounded by lots family today as we waited for news and updates. Thank you for all your prayers and well-wishes but God took her home."

He said baby Eleanor was doing "very well" and breathing on her own and will remain in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for around a week.

"She is beautiful," he says of his daughter. "She has Imogen's lips, ears, hair.



"I miss my wife so much. Leaving to go home, her suitcase she prepared was in the book, never to be used. At home, her sewing machine on the table, with unfinished work for Eleanor.

"Every single plan we had is just...erased."

Family and friends have been supporting the now single father-of-two who is struggling to cope with the devastating loss. He is also leaning on his faith to try and deal with this sudden blow.

"But through all this I have my God, and he has Imogen and my grandparents and in due time he will have me. But I have peace."

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