News from the Room
A story of Loss, Love & Hope
In June 2022, Nikita gave birth to her first son, Hudson, after what she calls a perfect pregnancy. Everything was normal. Until it wasn’t.
During labour at 39 weeks, Hudson’s heart rate crashed without warning. She was rushed for an emergency caesarean. Hudson was resuscitated after 15 minutes, but the lack of oxygen had already caused irreversible brain damage. Four days later, Nikita held him as he took his final breath.
“The world around you keeps going, but your world stops,” she wrote.
Six months later, after therapy and grief, she decided to try again. Hope and terror, all mixed together. This time she went to the Royal Women’s Hospital, under obstetrician Dr Julia Unterscheider, who helms the Pregnancy After Loss Care at the Women’s with her team.
“They listened as I shared Hudson’s story,” she said. “They wanted to do whatever I needed to feel as comfortable and secure as I possibly could.”
Every two weeks, she saw Julia. Scans, check-ins, extra monitoring. Their social worker Cecilia handled the emotional load. When something went wrong, they fixed it. When Nikita panicked, they picked up the phone.
At 37 weeks, in a quiet theatre with music playing, her second son was born.
“He gave the loudest cry and it was everything my soul needed to hear.”
She named him Haven.
Leaving hospital with a baby in her arms and one in her heart was surreal. “The Royal Women’s and my team there helped make my pregnancy with Haven a beautiful one despite the overwhelming fear and anxiety,” she said.
“They provided many moments of healing and they got my baby here alive. For that I will forever be grateful.”
Haven is two now. Small, funny, determined, the kind of kid who pushes boundaries with a grin.
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Nikita is sharing her story to support Scooting for Hope, a World Record livestreaming fundraising event aiming to raise $100,000 for the The Royal Women's Hospital's Pregnancy After Loss Care, the same care that helped bring Haven safely into the world.
“Reaching this $100k milestone will enhance pregnancy after loss care at the Women’s for years to come." Rob Saunders
👉 Donate here: https://dandelion-fund.raiselysite.com/.
SCOOTING FOR HOPE
24 Hours - 1 Scooter - 1 Purpose
$100K for Pregnancy after loss Care
The 411
This Week at Room Eleven
Outreach, Support and Roadblocks
It’s been one of those weeks — two steps forward, one step back.
There’s been some great progress on the support front. Globber have come on board and confirmed they’ll be providing 40 scooters for the event — 20 kids and 20 adult models — along with banners and stickers. I’m incredibly grateful to them for their generosity and belief in what we’re doing.
Ocean Spray have also joined in, donating cases of their refreshing cranberry juice to keep everyone hydrated. A few other brands have shown strong interest too, so fingers crossed we can share more soon.
On the flip side, event insurance has been a bit of a headache — lots of back and forth, amendments, and unexpected costs. It’s taking longer than planned, but I’m hopeful it’ll all be sorted before the next update.
We’re also needing to slightly reformat the broadcast interviews for the event. We’ll be bringing in more parent voices than originally planned — which I think will make the livestream even more powerful.
If you, or someone you know, has experienced pregnancy loss and would be open to sharing your story during the 24-hour event at Calder Park, I’d love to hear from you. You don’t need to have been a Royal Women’s patient — we simply want to highlight the importance of pregnancy after loss care and create space for real stories to be heard.
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Weekly Musings
What I’m Watching: SHOGUN
Set in 17th-century Japan, Shōgun follows an English sailor who’s shipwrecked in a land ruled by samurai, where every glance and gesture carries political weight. It’s full of power plays, alliances, and quiet moments that say more than the words ever could.
I watched this series last year when it first came out, and it was released weekly — which made it feel like proper event television again. Something we don’t get much of these days with streaming platforms dropping everything at once.
I’m rewatching it now, and it’s even better than I remember. It feels more cinematic, and the acting and writing are just superb. I think because I already know how it ends, I’m not as focused on trying to decode the plots within plots — I can just sit back and enjoy the flow.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s well worth a watch. Disney+.
what I’m Listening to: The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
The Power of Vulnerability is a live recording of Brené Brown’s talks, where she digs into her research on courage, shame, empathy, and what it really means to live wholeheartedly. It’s insightful and funny.
I downloaded it not realising it was a live recording, and was pleasantly surprised. I’ve heard her name plenty of times but never really looked into her work. And honestly, this is one of those “I wish I’d done this years ago” kind of listens.
The ideas she explores, especially around how vulnerability shapes connection and healing are right up my alley. I talk about vulnerability a lot in my own talks, particularly how it’s crucial in being able to heal from grief in a healthy way.
Most of what she shares helps solidify what I’ve already learned along my own journey, but there’ve also been some real gems that have made me rethink a few things.
I’m really enjoying it so far, and looking forward to diving deeper into her work.
From Nikita’s heartbreak and hope, to the ongoing push to bring Scooting for Hope to life, to the lessons in Shōgun and Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability — all come back to courage. Not the big cinematic kind, but the steady, quiet kind that shows up in real life. It’s found in the parents who share their stories, the people who keep showing up through uncertainty, and the moments we choose honesty over protection.
If you’d like to help us keep moving forward with Scooting for Hope and the work of Room Eleven, the best way is to share this newsletter, spread the word, or reach out if you’d like to get involved.
See you next week.
Rob
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