Stop SUDEP: A mother’s fight for justice for her daughter
Megan's mother Alison shares her story.
In May 2026, the inquest into the death of Megan Gardiner found she was not properly informed of her risk of death by the medical professionals responsible for her care.
Several months on, Megan’s mother Alison has talked about the ‘emotional upheaval’ that she and her family have experienced through the process of trying to get public recognition for Megan, from those who let her down.
Alison said: “Overall, I came away from the inquest really disappointed. It was only actually after I’d read one of the newspaper articles that I was able to see that there were positives in the outcomes and in what had been said by the coroner. She did reflect that there were deficits in Megan’s care. So I was really pleased that the journalists had taken part and listened to the inquest because it enabled me to have a more objective view about what the outcome was.”
Alison accepts that she put so much weight into getting vindication for Megan that ‘maybe nothing would have been good enough’. Halfway through the proceedings, she said she apologised to Rob (her partner) and Tessie, her other daughter, for what she was putting them through.
She said: “I was retraumatising them with having to listen to what had happened to Megan. And it was because I’d been pushing for it that they were going with me. They were supporting me. They obviously wanted the truth for Megan, but they were doing it because I wanted it. One consultant apologised to me after he’d given evidence and there were some comments made which did make me feel that they had reflected on the way that they provided their services and altered some of the ways they interacted with people. It’s just knowing that this is embedded properly within the system and those changes continue, isn’t it? To make things better for the next people that they they serve.”
Megan was 17 weeks pregnant when she died in June 2022 of SUDEP – Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. She was just 25.
This inquest conclusion comes after a long and gruelling four-year fight for the family. SUDEP Action has stood alongside the family throughout that time —supporting them before and during this inquest—and we will continue to stand with them as they move forward. This was the first inquest in Wales to look at the significance of SUDEP risk discussions in epilepsy care.
Alison added: “There were failures in the care that they provided to Megan. It just doesn’t feel like it was what I wanted out of it. Maybe because we didn’t get the Prevention of Future Deaths report. I think it just fell short of that. There were a few things that felt like a failure for me. But I would do it all again. I wouldn’t change what I did. I would continue to fight to get the changes for Megan and I’d continue to get involved with whatever campaigns SUDEP Action are involved in. You can’t take away all risk, but you can manage risk. And I think that was the difference for Megan, that they weren’t attempting to manage that risk. In fact, they weren’t even acknowledging the risk. They only acknowledged a risk to the the foetus, the baby, and not to her. And so the message, for me, is about how do we get that out there. And so anything SUDEP Action is doing, I’d be more than happy to be a part of.”
Alison says the love of her family and the support of the community and SUDEP Action meant a lot to her through a difficult time.
She said: “One of the things I’m really proud of, Tessie our youngest daughter, took part in a programme with S4C, with me, after the inquest and talked about her experiences. And again, I knew she did that because she cared for me and because she loved Megan. So, you know, love doesn’t change, does it? Love doesn’t die. The person may not be here, but you still have all the affection and the the warmth for them. I’m really proud that she was able to do that and get Megan’s message out again.
“We had great support from SUDEP Action, Julia and Tracy came along to the inquest. And they’ve been great support throughout the whole process. They’ve been able to advise and guide, so SUDEP Action has a soft spot in my heart.
“Obviously, what I wanted from the inquest was a Prevention of Future Deaths report. I wanted full acknowledgement that Megan had been failed. I think I would have been happier with that outcome, but it wouldn’t have brought Megan back. The inquest showed we’ve got a great community behind us. There was lots of support. People were there behind us, trying to support us and give an extra push to continue the fight because they knew that what we were doing was right.”
