Young Gladstone mum Blaire Perkins fighting for life with pneumonia

Beautiful photos of her week-old baby sit by the bedside of a new Queensland mum as she fights for life in hospital just days after giving birth, after a case of Influenza A worsened into pneumonia.

A GoFundMe has been started to help Blaire's partner Mat and baby Eloise as she remains on life support in a Gold Coast Hospital.

A young Queensland mum is expected to remain in an induced coma for weeks as she fights for life after a case of Influenza A escalated into pneumonia, just days after she gave birth to a baby girl.

Calliope woman Blaire Perkins was put on life support after giving birth to bub Eloise in Gladstone late last week, and remains in a critical but stable condition in Gold Coast Hospital.

Her best friend Shanay Brown-Rozycki has organised a GoFundMe to help support Blaire’s partner Mat Gow with travel, accommodation, and any medical, newborn and daily expenses.

Speaking with this publication on Friday morning, Ms Brown-Rozycki said the infection in Blaire’s lungs was bad and doctors were draining them multiple times.

“The doctors are saying the odds are in her favour, she will be in an induced coma for at least two or three weeks at this time,” she said.

“She had a CAT scan the other day and her organs all looked good which is promising.”

Once awake Blaire’s recovery will continue and include physio to build her muscles back up.

Ms Brown-Rozycki said the family was excited for the day Blaire would be able to return home.

“We’ve printed photos of bub and Mat to have in her room when she wakes up,” she said.

“Mat and I also want to make a PowerPoint with photos for her because it will be overwhelming and she can go through it at her own time.”

In just a day the GoFundMe page has raised more than $8000.

“It’s incredible...we didn’t expect it to blow up like this,” Ms Brown-Rozycki said.

“It’s really good to know that Blaire and Mat are loved by a lot of people.”

In the GoFundMe, Ms Brown-Rozycki wrote that Blaire had been taken to Gladstone Hospital on the evening of Friday, April 21 at 41 weeks pregnant, where she was receiving antibiotics and fluids to help her recover from her illness.

She then went into labour and Eloise was born on Saturday night by emergency caesarean.

Ms Brown-Rozycki said that on Sunday, the day after the caesarean, Blaire was “looking amazing” and seemed to be getting better, with doctors hoping the family could be home by Tuesday.

But things went downhill on Monday.

Ms Brown-Rozycki said Mat called her that afternoon telling her Blaire was being moved to the High Dependency Unit on high oxygen flow because she couldn’t breathe on her own.

“It was a very scary time but after a few hours, she was able to speak full sentences and we were all hopeful she would be coming home over the next few days,” the GoFundMe says.

“Eloise was a picture of health and wasn’t allowed to be with Blaire, so they discharged her.

“A moment Blaire and Mat were so excited for, was now a moment of sadness as Mat took their baby girl home without her mum.”

Just a few hours later Blaire “took a turn for the worst” and was transferred to Rockhampton Hospital with a breathing tube.

She now has pneumonia.

Blaire’s sister drove to Gladstone from Biloela to be at Mat’s house and provide support while Blaire was being transferred to Rockhampton and her parents packed up their caravan and called all around the Gold Coast until they could find accommodation to be by her side.

Blaire was then transferred to a Gold Coast hospital where she remains on life support.

“Specialists were flying from all over the country to try and help her,” the GoFundMe says.

“Blaire remains on life support and has a machine removing the blood from her body, re-oxygenating it and then pumping it back into her bloodstream. This is so her lungs can get the rest they need.

“Both of her lungs are completely full of fluid and are getting drained three times a day. All we can do now is wait.”

Blaire’s parents will be staying by her side, while her sister and family will be staying to support Mat and Eloise.

If you would like to donate to help the family visit the GoFundMe campaign’s web page.