Chemist Warehouse founder Brett Clark, wife Maria’s pregnancy battles raise $2m

A Brisbane power couple’s pregnancy trauma has inspired them to raise nearly $2 million to help mothers facing difficult births. Their latest fundraiser could be their most important yet.

Brett and Maria Clark and their baby Olivia, who inspired them to raise $2 million for the Mater.

The wife of Chemist Warehouse founder Brett Clark has opened up about her traumatic pregnancy battles and how the loss of their daughter inspired the family to raise $2 million.

Maria Clark and her husband have not only overcome the trauma of three premature births, including the loss of their middle daughter Olivia, the experience has inspired their whole family to help mothers in need.

This year marks their 20th year of fundraising for the Mater Mother’s Hospital and it could be the most important yet, with a target of about $1 million to help fund Catherine’s House.

The facility, within the former Sisters of Mercy convent at the Mater’s South Brisbane site, brings back special memories for Ms Clark.

“Many days for us were spent sitting outside the convent on an old bench, when we had one of our girls in hospital for three months,’’ she said.

Baby Olivia weighed as much as a tub of butter when she was born.

“We saw Catherine’s House as a healing space for families and we wanted to help and to be a part of that.’’

Astonishingly, all of her three daughters were born premature which meant she and her husband spent long weeks in hospital.

The couple’s oldest daughter, Chelsea, now 25, was born at 29 weeks weighing just 661g.

She spent three months in hospital before she was allowed to go home.

Middle daughter Olivia was even tinier at 499g after arriving in the world on February 26, 2001, about 14 weeks early.

Tragically, she was to die six days later, on the day doctors allowed Ms Clark to go home.

Maria Clark with daughter Chelsea and her newborn sister Maddy at the Mater.

“We weren’t home long when we got the phone call you always dread,’’ she said.

“We didn’t know Olivia was in such a risky condition.

“She picked up an infection and it was too much for her lungs.

“Chelsea had just baked a chocolate cake with my mother to welcome us home.

“But the Mater was really good at teaching us how to cope.’’

In a third major challenge, Ms Clark fell pregnant very quickly after that with their third daughter Maddy, now 21.

She was born at 29 weeks’ gestation, weighing 1.1kg.

“I was in hospital for another three months and had to have oxygen at home for Maddy for 10 months,’’ Ms Clark said.

“I had to have an oxygen tank on my back while carrying her around.

“It was very difficult falling pregnant again after Olivia. We were petrified and didn’t tell anyone.’’

Chelsea Clarke with her baby sister Maddy after being released from hospital.

Brett and Maria Clark with Chelsea and baby Maddy.

Ms Clark said a memorial service was held for Olivia at the old convent.

And after spending so much time sitting on the park benches outside, away from the relentless beeps of machines in the neonatal unit, it “just felt right’’ to help raise funds for Catherine’s House for Mothers, Babies and Families.

The state-of-the-art facility, Queensland’s first integrated perinatal mental health centre,

opened at a soft launch this week at the old convent site.

The convent was badly damaged some years ago in a storm, forcing the Sisters to move.

Catherine’s House includes a special healing garden for the mothers.

Brett and Maria Clark at Eagle Farm Melbourne Cup race day last year. A well-known Brisbane power couple, they have raised almost $2 million for the Mater. Picture: John Gass

Ms Clark said having three premmie babies in a row had inspired her, Brett and both her daughters to get behind the Mater.

She estimated they had collectively raised more than $1.75 million over two decades for a pregnancy assessment centre, neonatal care, critical care and other areas.

One of their big initiatives was Olivia’s Race Day, on again this year at Eagle Farm Racecourse on March 25. Tickets are on sale until Monday (March 20).

Mr Clark is a keen marathon runner and last year ran a fundraiser in Antarctica, on ice at Union Glacier, part of his goal to run marathons on all seven continents.

“With the funds that we raise from this event and through our fundraising efforts from 2021 ($163,000) and 2022 ($257,000), we will be able to completely renovate and fit-out the shared kitchen, dining room and lounge area for inpatients and their families on level three of Catherine’s House,’’ Ms Clark said.

Maria and Brett Clark and their daughters Maddy and Chelsea have raised nearly $2 mililon for the Mater.

Brett Clark competing in last year's Antarctic Ice Marathon.

“These rooms to me represent the heart of our family home, where we gather and relax together.

“We started fundraising for Catherine’s House because we saw that it was a much-needed service.

“We saw Catherine’s House as a healing space for families and we wanted to help and to be a part of that.

“The kids are aware of their fragile beginnings and have always wanted to help (fundraising) because of their little sister they did not get to know.

“Chelsea has graduated from UQ with a bachelor of Journalism and Communications with First Class Honours and now works as a media advisor.

“Maddy is studying third year Physiotherapy at UQ and has just completed her first triathlon.’’

Originally published as Chemist Warehouse founder Brett Clark, wife Maria’s pregnancy battles raise $2m