Hannah Camplin, a 36-year-old intensive care nurse, died after suffering a cardiac arrest in a Perth hospital two days after giving birth to her daughter, Sofia.
Ms Camplin had experienced a healthy pregnancy and a straightforward birth before she suddenly became critically ill on September 9. The exact cause of her death remains unknown.
Her partner, former West Coast Eagles player Mark Hutchings, waited two weeks before publicly sharing the news as he cared for their newborn daughter while grieving.
In a tribute, Mr Hutchings described Ms Camplin as his “beautiful partner” and said motherhood had been her lifelong dream.
“It is with deep sadness that I share the sudden loss of my beautiful partner, Hannah … 2 days following the birth of our daughter, Sofia,” he wrote.
“I am shattered. Her dream was to become a Mum, so it’s been incredibly difficult to take.
“Sofia and I love you and will miss you very much Hannah.”
Family await answers over Hannah Camplin’s death
Ms Camplin worked as an intensive care nurse at Royal Perth Hospital and was also part of the hospital’s trauma research unit.
Her sister, Lucy Heke, said she had visited Ms Camplin after Sofia’s birth and that the new mother appeared happy and settled.
“Sofia is absolutely beautiful, and Hannah had taken to motherhood like a duck to water. She just looked very happy and content,” she said.
Ms Heke said the initial investigation into the death had been inconclusive and that the family could face a lengthy wait for an explanation.
“It could be a year before they can get the full reasoning as to what happened,” she said.
Ms Camplin’s cousin, Alys, said she had spoken to her only hours before her death.
“I was speaking with her just a few hours prior. I can’t stop thinking about her, and you and the baby,” she wrote in a message beneath Mr Hutchings’s tribute.
“My gorgeous, hilarious and kind cousin will be so sorely missed. Absolutely senseless tragedy.”
Friends support Mark Hutchings and baby Sofia
Mr Hutchings’s close friend Jarred Briotti and his wife, Meagan, had welcomed their own son, Tanner, only days before Sofia was born.
Ms Camplin and Mrs Briotti had been lifelong friends and had looked forward to raising their children together.
Mr and Mrs Briotti have pledged to support Mr Hutchings as he raises Sofia without her mother. Sharing a photograph of the two fathers with their babies, Mr Briotti wrote that his friend had taken to fatherhood “like a duck to water”.
“I am so proud of you, mate,” he wrote. “Tanner & Sofia – best mates for life, like us.”
Mr Hutchings played 120 games for West Coast, including the club’s 2018 premiership, before retiring from the AFL in 2021 and moving into real estate.
Ms Camplin’s funeral is due to take place at Fremantle Cemetery’s West Chapel on October 8. Both families are supporting Mr Hutchings and newborn Sofia as they come to terms with her death.
