Pregnant woman died as result of a rare condition

A PREGNANT 25-year-old woman died as a result of a rare condition in epilepsy, a landmark inquest has heard.

- HOLLY MORGAN Reporter [e-mail]

Megan Gardiner, who died unexpectedly at her home in Barry

(FAMILY HANDOUT)

Megan Gardiner, from Barry, was 17 weeks' pregnant when she died as a result of sudden unexpected death in epilespy (SUDEP) in June 2022, an inquest being held at Pontypridd Coroner's Court has heard this week.

The inquest - expected to conclude tomorrow - is the first in Wales to consider the significance of SUDEP risk discussions in epilepsy care.

SUDEP is a rare condition affecting one in a thousand people with epilepsy annually and often happens during or after a seizure.

Coroner Kerrie Burge has heard evidence from Miss Gardiner’s mother Alison Woolcock, 55, who told the court the family were not properly aware of the risks associated with epilepsy and had not known there was a chance her daughter could die so suddenly.

Ms Woolcock described her daughter as “beautiful”, “full of life” with “a thoughtful and caring soul”. She told the hearing: “Megan was ambitious. An ultimate goal was [for her] to own her own business one day doing makeup. She became very skilled from watching plenty of makeup videos as well as RuPaul's drag race.

“She had a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humour. If she made a joke or liked a joke she would laugh about it forever. You could become the brunt of her jokes very easily.

“She got on really well with me and we shared lots of the same interests - interests that she got me into.