A young mum and her unborn baby suddenly died after reportedly suffering an epileptic seizure at home as her family pays tribute.
Megan Gardiner, 25, was 17 weeks pregnant when she and her unborn son died on June 4 at her Barry home.
Mum Alison Woodcock, 51, described Megan as "full of life" and "a thoughtful and caring soul".
She leaves behind her boyfriend Jawad Ahmad, father Robert and sister Tesni.
Dad Robert and Alison's middle daughter Ellie died in 2001 of sudden infant death syndrome shortly before her second birthday.
Alison told WalesOnline : "We've already been through this once and we're going through it again. It's just devastating."
Megan, who had been living at the family home, had not had a seizure since April.
Her mum says she appeared to be in good form the night before she died.
She 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 maybe she had gone into town so I drove through Barry, went into shops, rang her sister.
"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 to do, but I knew there was no point."
Paramedics raced to the house, but Megan died sometime earlier.
Megan had battled epilepsy since she was 13.
During good periods, she would have one seizure a month and during bad times she would have as many as four a day.
Because her epilepsy was so severe Megan was taking three medications — Lamotrigine, Brivaracetam and Zonisamide.
Megan and Alison attended an appointment on May 23 at the University Hospital of Wales, where Alison says they were told that there was no risk to the foetus from using Lamotrigine and Brivaracetam but that the research around Zonisamide was not clear.
Alison said Megan took the medical advice of upping her dosage of Lamotrigine and tapering off the Zonisamide.
She added: "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."
She added: "We chose for Megan to be buried holding her little boy, resting on her chest. She is buried in Barry Cemetery with Ellie, so the two of them are back together."
Megan had a "sweet nature" and would often campaign on social issues.
Alison said: "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. The course was really good for her because epilepsy affects confidence and I was really proud of her managing to finish it."
Mum Alison has since voiced concerns over the epilepsy treatment Megan received from Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales, which had recently changed her medication.
Alison said it was worrying to learn that another pregnant Barry woman, 28-year-old Paige Ellis, died following a suspected epileptic seizure overnight on July 23 after being given new medication by the same hospital.
The hospital says "the concerns are being reviewed" but it has not found any "immediate care and treatment concerns".
A Cardiff and Vale University Health Board — which runs the University Hospital of Wales — a spokesperson 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.”
More than £7,000 has been raised in Megan's memory for bereavement support charity 2 Wish after Alison started a JustGiving page.
The Mirror contacted Cardiff and Vale University Health Board for comment.
