Olivia “Liv” Harlow, 25, was 32 weeks pregnant with her second daughter when her vision blurred. Later, she visited a hospital where doctors gave her a “pregnancy safe scan” and then sent her home. But her health worsened, and she began experiencing intensely painful headaches. Then on June 16 at 37 weeks pregnant, Harlow of Brisbane, Australia, learned her baby, Adeline, had died.
Still, her headaches and blurry vision persisted and days later, her partner, Ryan Stephenson, found her unconscious on the floor.
“The hospital conducted full CT scans and all relevant tests, and the results showed that Liv had multiple masses in her head/brain and on her lungs,” her sister-in-law Stefanie Harlow, 32, of North Queensland, Australia, tells TODAY.com via email. “She had a large mass to the back of her head … that caused her to stop breathing etc. Hence, her unresponsive state. This large (mass) had also ruptured.”
Doctors told the family that Liv Harlow was “brain dead” and they said goodbye to her.
“The doctors could not explain why in 26 days, she had nothing in the original scan and then by the second scan she had so many of these masses,” Stefanie Harlow says. “They said they’d never seen anything like it.”
Headaches, blurry vision in late pregnancy
Liv Harlow grew up in a small rural town and enjoyed competing in equestrian events with her horse. In school, she earned good grades and dreamed of being a lawyer. After graduating, she worked as a governess at cattle stations in Western Queensland before moving closer to home and eventually meeting Stephenson. After giving birth to their first daughter, Evaliah, in April 2020, Liv Harlow became a stay-at-home mom. She loved sports and participated in any she could.
“It didn’t matter what activity was on offer, she was always keen to be involved,” Stefanie Harlow says. “Liv has always been healthy, fit and active.”
After her blurry vision began, doctors told Liv Harlow that her pregnancy was “high risk” and worried that her sight troubles could be “an early sign of stroke.” By the time she was 34 weeks pregnant, she went to the emergency room where doctors performed a “pregnancy safe scan” of her head and brain.
“The result was perfectly clear, and nothing was abnormal,” Stefanie Harlow explains. “She was released and sent home to rest and take it easy.”
Then 18 days later, Liv Harlow experienced something troubling — baby Adeline stopped moving. Panicked, she visited the hospital where scans revealed that Adeline had died at 37 weeks. After delivering her baby “forever sleeping,” Liv Harlow underwent some following up postnatal exams and was released. But she did not feel well.
“She was still suffering these intense headaches and blurred vision,” Stefanie Harlow says.
Again, Liv Harlow visited the hospital and doctors re-examined the scan taken while she was pregnant. They looked clear and doctors sent her home again to rest without conducting new tests. Two days later, Stephenson found her “on the floor unresponsive.”
“(An ambulance) rushed her to the hospital where she was placed on life support,” Stefanie Harlow says.
After several tests, doctors found the masses in her head and lungs.
“The doctors were unable to determine what they actually were at the time and what caused them,” Stefanie Harlow says. “We were told (the masses) were inoperable and that Liv was already brain dead.”
Devastated, the family “prayed for a miracle,” but sadly Liv Harlow’s health did not improve. By June 24, the family said their goodbyes before they took the young mom off life support.
“We feel very sad that this was our family’s outcome,” Stefanie Harlow says. “We don’t understand why or how this happened so quickly.”
Finding answers and raising awareness
Stefanie Harlow is married to Liv Harlow’s older brother, Christopher, and the two were expecting their sixth child at the same time as Liv Harlow was expecting Adeline.
“That was really tough and super emotional for both our families,” Stefanie Harlow says. “Liv and I were due to have our baby girls a week apart with me due first.”
The family doesn’t know why Liv Harlow developed the masses and if they caused her death and the coroner kept her brain to conduct more testing. Results could take up to two years for the family to understand what happened to Liv Harlow.
“We have to wait for those answers as we don’t know what they were or what caused them,” Stefanie Harlow says. “Understandably, we are all struggling to come to terms with these tragic losses.”
As they grapple with “disbelief and shock,” the family wanted to share Liv Harlow’s story to encourage others who do not feel well to advocate for their health.
“We thought it would be a good opportunity to bring some light to the situation so should future women find themselves in a similar position they might have the courage to push harder for further testing to be done,” Stefanie Harlow says. “I just hope that everyone who presents to a hospital knowing their own bodies and sensing something isn’t right have the courage to speak up and they want more done for themselves.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
