'We're scared': Pregnant woman has 24 seizures in one day

Angie hopes to raise awareness about epilepsy, and encourage people to become educated about what to do when someone has a seizure.

Angie Shaw and her family. Picture: Angie Shaw

ANGIE Shaw is married to the love of her life, they have four beautiful children together, and she's now 30 weeks pregnant with her fifth child.

The Shaws had planned a party on the Queen's birthday public holiday to celebrate their four-year-old daughter's birthday but instead, Angie spent it in hospital, in an induced coma.

Angie was diagnosed with epilepsy three years ago, but under the control of her medication, she hadn't had a seizure for one and a half years.

"But then, we fell pregnant," she said.

"We were on the pill and taking precautions because my epilepsy medication is so dangerous to growing babies."

The seizures started again on September 25.

"I had two in front of my kids at home, they did an amazing job and I ended up in hospital," Angie said.

Angie Shaw and her family. Picture: Angie Shaw

After two more seizures that brought on contractions, she was airlifted from Kingaroy Hospital last week.

"They gave me great care there," she said.

Angie is now in the Gold Coast University Hospital, where she'll stay until she can deliver at 37 weeks.

"I had 11 seizures in emergency when they put me in an induced coma. Every time they tried to take me out I'd have another seizure and contractions," she said.

"After another 13 seizures, they put me in ICU in another induced coma."

Despite the terrifying ordeal, she's out of her coma now and Harry, as she's come to call her unborn son, is healthy.

"He seems to be physically fine so far, though intellectually we won't know for quite some time."

Angie Shaw and her family. Picture: Angie Shaw

But because of Angie's epilepsy, she's still a risk to her own unborn son.

"There are certain tablets that can be better for a foetus, but the ones I'm on are the highest dose of two different types of epileptic medication, and now I'm on a third," she said.

"It's constantly in the back of my mind. We can't be at home in Kingaroy because of what's safest for us, so we're here in hospital and it's just so overwhelming."

During one of Angie's seizures last week, she also fell and broke her hand.

"Everything is tough. I was in a coma for two of my kids' birthdays and I cried today because I couldn't eat lunch with a broken hand," she said.

"It's so hard being away from my kids, my husband, just my life."

Angie said she would still have the cast on her hand when Harry is born.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to breastfeed, and I wont be able to bath him with the cast on.

Angie Shaw and her family. Picture: Angie Shaw

"I'll have to sit on the floor to hold him because of my seizures - there are so many risks we didn't realise.

"Even when we leave the hospital, I'm always going to have to have someone with us, I just can't believe it," she said.

"I'm just so lucky to have the best husband, friends and neighbours who are doing the best they can to help us.

"We're just scared, that's all."

Angie said by telling her story, she hopes to raise awareness about epilepsy, and encourage people to become educated about what to do when someone has a seizure.

"We re-educated the kids and our friends, and if I could just help one person it would please me greatly," she said.

Angie's sister, Sam Steele, has set up a MyCause page, and you can support the Shaws by clicking here.

Originally published as 'We're scared': Pregnant woman has 24 seizures in one day