Tara Pavlovic has spoken about the horrifying illness that almost claimed the life of her eight-week-old daughter.
Speaking on the Two Doting Dads Podcast this week, the former Bachelor star, 34, revealed she almost lost newborn Edi-Rae to Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
‘So, at eight weeks old, [older child] Paddy went into hospital and got grommets in, so we had this surgery, and he came back, and he was really sick,’ she explained.
Tara shared, ‘I think he picked up RSV from the hospital, but he must have had other viruses from kindy before that. He gave them to Edi-Rae, and she was such a silent little girl. She didn’t really cry a lot or anything, so it was so hard to tell she was sick.’
What initially seemed like a minor issue quickly escalated. Tara noticed Edi-Rae’s breathing became laboured and immediately rushed him to the hospital.
‘They did some swabs and initially thought she was okay to go home, but warned me she could decline. The next day, her condition worsened, and I just knew I had to take her back.’
Once back in the hospital, the situation turned dire.
‘They got her swabs back, and they said, ‘You’re not going home for quite a while.’ She tested positive for RSV, rhinovirus, and adenovirus. She was just eight weeks old – still a newborn.’
Tara Pavlovic horrifying illness that almost claimed the life of her eight-week-old daughter
Speaking on the Two Doting Dads Podcast this week, the former Bachelor star, 34, revealed she almost lost newborn Edi-Rae to Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Pictured with Nick Shepherdson
Tara described the heartbreaking sight of her tiny daughter struggling to breathe.
‘Her breathing was so bad, you could see her stomach pumping in and out. She couldn’t drink because she couldn’t suck or breathe properly. Her head was bobbing up and down, and that’s a massive red flag at that age. My friend, who’s a nurse, told me to get her to the hospital immediately.’
Edi-Rae’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and she was diagnosed with bronchiolitis and a partially collapsed lung.
Unfortunately, Edi-Rae would get far worse before getting better: “It led to bronchiolitis and then a partially collapsed left lung
‘She was put on oxygen and then needed high-flow oxygen. They moved her to ICU because she needed to be closely monitored. I was so worried.
‘The nurses were stressed, and I could tell something was seriously wrong. One of them told me, ‘She’s in the best place,’ and I thought, ‘What does that even mean?’ It was the most terrifying time.’
Tara’s emotional account of the experience highlighted the fear and helplessness she felt during the ordeal, as her newborn daughter fought for her life.
Fortunately, after several days in intensive care, Edi-Rae’s condition stabilised, and she was eventually able to recover.
Tara rose to fame on Matty ‘J’ Johnson’s season of The Bachelor in 2017.
Tara rose to fame on Matty ‘J’ Johnson’s season of The Bachelor in 2017 (pictured)
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