Support our brilliant researchers and clinicians as they bring hope to families this Christmas.
Kate and her husband Zach are forever grateful to the Women’s and are passionate about supporting the hospital’s work so that other families can go home together. They have kindly shared their story as part of the Women’s Christmas Appeal 2024.
At the age of 25, Kate survived a major car accident and was told she needed a double kidney and pancreas transplant to save her life. It took her seven and a half years to find a donor, during which time she endured daily dialysis, had three cardiac arrests, severe weight loss, and countless hospital stays.
In January 2019, Kate received her transplant and was able to marry her partner Zach.
Kate and Zach desperately wanted a family and started IVF in 2021 but were unable to fall pregnant. After ceasing IVF they were ecstatic to find out they were expecting twins. From the start of their pregnancy, the Royal Women’s Hospital became a second home to them.
“My doctor said they were the number one hospital for maternity, and they would know how best to treat me,” recalls Kate.
The pregnancy was going well until Kate started bleeding at 9 weeks.
“I started cramping and spotting and everyone was saying that it was normal, but I knew something wasn’t right. They did a scan at 11 weeks and couldn’t find a heartbeat for one of the babies, we were devastated,” remembers Kate.
Kate lost one of her twins, Blake, at 12 weeks on Christmas Day.
At 22 weeks, Kate developed preeclampsia and was hospitalised with her donor organs struggling under the stress of carrying the pregnancy.
“Every day the doctor would come in and say ‘Ok, the baby now has this chance of surviving and this is what may happen if he is born now’,” remembers Kate.
Despite the pressure of the pregnancy, Kate’s body held on until 27 weeks when Harley was delivered by emergency caesarean weighing just 860 grams. Kate’s health meant she was unable to see Harley for another 48 hours.
“All my family got to meet him before me. I remember when I first saw him, I was just so amazed at how tiny he was, he could literally fit in my hand. He was tiny but he was a fighter, and he was alive,” recalls Kate.
In addition to being premature, Harley faced another challenge when he was diagnosed with a hole in his heart and had to undergo complex surgery.
“His heart kept stopping and he kept turning blue. The nurses and doctors came in to massage his chest and increase his oxygen trying to stimulate him. You end up living in a constant state of fear that he wasn’t going to come back,” remembers Kate.
When Harley reached 2 kilos, he underwent heart surgery which successfully closed the hole in his heart and after five months in the NICU he was able to go home.
As donors of the Women’s, Kate and her husband, Zach, are passionate about ensuring other families have access to the best possible care.
“If it wasn’t for the nurses, doctors and staff I know Harley wouldn’t be here. They are our fairy godmothers because they literally saved our son and guided him to a point where he was strong enough for the surgery that saved his life,” says Kate.
Every year, the amazing team at the Women’s cares for more than 1,500 premature babies like Harley. And thanks to the wealth of research we conduct, every single one of them is given the best possible chance of going home with their families.
About the Women’s Christmas Appeal
The Women’s Christmas Appeal helps to raise vital funds for research, to support families like Kate, Zach and Harley and give even the tiniest babies the best chance of surviving.
If you would like to donate, please visit our Christmas Appeal page.