Pregnant woman, 25, and unborn baby were found dead by her mother after epileptic fit and fall between bed and wall, inquest hears

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:34, 22 April 2026 | Updated: 13:40, 22 April 2026 A pregnant woman and her unborn baby were found dead by her mother after she had an epileptic fit and fell between her bed and the wall, an inquest heard. Would-be mother Megan Gardiner, 25, was 17 weeks pregnant with her unborn son when her mother Alison Woolcock found her body. Paramedics rushed to the scene but she was pronounced dead at the family home in Barry, South Wales in June 2022. Ms Gardiner had changed her medication shortly before her death and medics were looking into new drugs for her before she died, the inquest heard. The expectant mother had suffered from epilepsy since she was 13 and had wanted a baby despite the risk her condition brought to pregnancy. Her medical cause of death was later given as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy - known as SUDEP. The inquest will investigate what advice and care was given to Ms Gardiner during her pregnancy by medical professionals, and what medication she was on. Her mother Ms Woolcock described her daughter as 'beautiful' and having a 'wonderfully sarcastic sense of humour'. Megan Gardiner, 25, died after an epileptic seizure and was found by her mother after she had fallen between her bed and the wall in their family home in Barry, South Wales, in June 2022 Alison (pictured holding photo of Ms Gardiner) described her daughter as 'beautiful' and having a 'wonderfully sarcastic sense of humour' She said: 'Megan was ambitious. An ultimate goal was to own her own business one day doing make-up. She became very skilled from watching plenty of makeup videos as well as RuPaul's Drag Race. 'She had a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humour. If she made a joke or liked a joke she would laugh about it forever. You could become the brunt of her jokes very easily. 'She got on really well with me and we shared lots of the same interests - interests that she got me into. She really supported me as well, with charity days, and would just be there whenever I needed her.' Tragically, this is not the first daughter Ms Woolcock and her husband Robert have lost as their middle daughter Ellie died in 2001 of sudden infant death syndrome shortly before her second birthday. 'We've already been through this once and we're going through it again,' said Alison previously. 'It's just devastating.' Ms Gardiner, who was living at the family home, had not experienced a seizure since April and appeared in good form the night before, Ms Woolcock said in 2022. Ms Woolcock told the hearing that the risks of SUDEP were never directly brought up to her or Ms Gardiner - and instead were discussed as a generalised risk. Doctors had talked about terminating the pregnancy but Ms Gardiner never considered it, the Pontypridd Inquest heard. She had also been at risk of 'sleep siezures', but Ms Woolcock said the family had not been made aware of this. If she had known, Ms Woolcock said she would have slept in the same bed as her daughter to look after her. Ms Woolcock recalled: '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. Ms Gardiner and her boyfriend Jowad Ahmed, the would-be father of her unborn son It is the second loss of a child for Robert and Alison (pictured together) after their middle daughter Ellie died in 2001 of sudden infant death syndrome shortly before her second birthday Ms Gardiner (right) leaves behind her mother Alsion, father Robert and sister Tesni (left) '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 do, but I knew there was no point.' Medics were looking to change medication for Ms Gardiner after she chose not to take sodium valproate against doctors' recommendations. The hearing was told that the sodium valproate can be dangerous for babies, but Ms Gardiner may not have understood it would only have been a temporary treatment to halt seizures.  Ms Woolcock said previously: '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.' Ms Gardiner leaves behind her boyfriend and would-be father of their unborn son Jowad Ahmad, father Robert and sister Tesni. Ms Woolcock 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.'   The hearing before coroner Kerrie Burge continues.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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