Mum's tribute to daughter and unborn baby die suddenly after suspected seizure at Barry home

A mum has paid tribute to her daughter and unborn baby who died suddenly after a suspected epileptic seizure.

Megan Gardiner was 17 weeks pregnant with her unborn son when they died overnight at her home in Barry on June 4.

The 25-year-old's mother, Alison Woolcock, described Megan as "full of life" and "a thoughtful and caring soul".

She added: "Meg had finished a beauty course at Cardiff and Vale College and she was going to take a year out because she was pregnant, then go back and do the next-level course.

"She was really good at doing makeup. Her ultimate goal was making sure her epilepsy was stable enough so she could work."

Alison, 51, has voiced concerns over the treatment her eldest daughter received from Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales after her medication was recently changed.

The health board said "the concerns are being reviewed" but it has not found any "immediate care and treatment concerns".

Alison and father Robert's middle daughter died in 2001 of sudden infant death syndrome before her second birthday.

Alison said: "We've already been through this once and we're going through it again. It's just devastating."

Megan, who was living at the family home, had not experienced a seizure since April and appeared to be in good form the night before she died, Alison said.

"We were watching a film, I think Mamma Mia, and singing and messing around. She was fine that evening, there was nothing at all wrong with her.

"Robert and I then went out. Meg was talking to her boyfriend and her sister, sending messages on her iPad. They were talking about everyday normal stuff. We got back at about 11.30pm and she was in bed at that point.

"Every morning I'd call her to say, 'Have you had your medication?' I called her at 9.30am and there was no response. Her bedroom was a mess and I didn't see her there. I kept trying to ring her and couldn't get an answer. It was unusual because she was 25 but I'd always know where she was.

"I thought I'd check her bedroom one more time and saw what I'd thought was a pile of clothes on the bed. Where she'd had a seizure, she had fallen down between the bed and the wall. I rang the ambulance service and there was a woman on the phone telling me what do, but I knew there was no point."

The paramedics arrived "quickly", but Megan had died some time earlier. The 25-year-old had battled epilepsy since she was 13 - during good periods she would only have a seizure a month, but at its worst there could be as many as four in one day.

"Meg really wanted to be a parent. She was happy about being pregnant. Any parent told that taking something could harm their baby would listen to that advice. She wanted to do the best she could for her baby."

More than £7,000 has been raised in Megan's memory for bereavement support charity 2 Wish. Megan was buried with her boy resting on her chest in Barry Cemetery, where her sister Ellie is also buried.

Remembering her daughter, Alison said: "Meg was one of those children who make you want to have more children. You could dress her and she'd be tidy for the rest of the day. She was a really well-behaved, beautiful child with big brown eyes and brown curly hair. She was a perfect sister and very understanding with Ellie, who was very rambunctious."

In a statement, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, which runs University Hospital of Wales, said: "Our thoughts are with the families at this incredibly sad time. The concerns are being reviewed in line with our governance process but due to patient confidentiality we are unable to comment on individual cases.

"Once completed, the investigation findings will be shared with the next of kin and based upon preliminary review we have not identified any immediate care and treatment concerns. We appreciate how difficult this time is for family and loved ones. However, if the families wish to discuss anything further we would ask they speak with their named point of contact."