Almost €100k raised for dad who lost wife hours after daughter’s birth

A crowdfunding campaign in Australia has raised over $100,000 for a man whose wife died hours after their daughter was born.

John Petrak from Queensland was widowed when his wife Imogen died from a complication due to an ear infection. She had given birth to the couple's second child earlier that day. Imogen was 36 weeks pregnant when she was rushed to the hospital last Friday suffering with what presented as an earache but what turned out to be a strain of bacterial meningitis. An emergency Caesarean-section was performed and baby Eleanor was born, but Imogen passed away a few hours later. "Today was a very bittersweet day," John wrote on Facebook. "Every single plan we had is just... erased. She was my help and now she is gone." Little Eleanor is doing well but John is now left to raise her and the couple's 17 month old son JB alone. A friend of Imogen's has set up a crowdfunding page to help with funeral costs and to support John and his two children. "Please help me help them, help me give him a year not having to worry about working or paying the bills, to give him time to figure out what life is going to be looking like for them now without his wife and his children mother," wrote Renèe King, the friend, on the GoFundMe page. Her efforts have seen $113,569 (roughly €98,255) being raised in just over five days. "Imogen was loved by all that crossed her path, she had the biggest heart and sweetest loving spirit, an incredible selfless mother and cherished wife," said Renèe. "Whilst this is an incredibly sad, heartwrenching time it is also a time to celebrate the gift of life, to congratulate John on the birth of his beautiful new daughter Eleanor." You can go the the GoFundMe page here.