Flik Shadbolt’s ‘miracle’ twin girls will grow up without her after she was found dead on bushwalk

Twin girls miraculously born 10 weeks early will grow up without their mother, who was found dead after going missing on bushwalk.

Felicity Shadbolt, 36, disappeared on Sunday after going for a run on Mount Nameless, near Tom Price in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Eight years earlier she became pregnant a year after marrying her husband Drew and soon discovered she was carrying twin girls.

 

Felicity Shadbolt, 36, (pictured with her twin girls Macie and Harper) was found dead on Wednesday night after disappearing from a bushwalk on Sunday

The twins were born 10 weeks early in 2011, four weeks after doctors predicted one of them was too small to make it

The twins were born 10 weeks early in 2011, four weeks after doctors predicted one of them was too small to make it

However, on May 6, 2011, when she was 26 weeks along, doctors told her one of them was too small to survive through the weekend.

The couple refused to give up and the unborn child hung on for four weeks as they fought to give her a chance to live.

‘It was the hardest four weeks of our lives,’ Ms Shadbolt, known as Flik, said in a tribute video to her ‘miracle’ twins.

‘Only a handful of people would know our daily amount of pain and tears as we prayed that we would get to keep both our babies.

‘You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.’ 

Ms Shadbolt became pregnant a year after marrying her husband Drew and soon discovered she was carrying twin girls

Ms Shadbolt became pregnant a year after marrying her husband Drew and soon discovered she was carrying twin girls

Ms Shadbolt smiles while showing off her baby bump before the pregnancy complications arose

Ms Shadbolt smiles while showing off her baby bump before the pregnancy complications arose

The couple refused to give up and the unborn child hung on for four weeks as they fought to give her a chance to live - and they both survived

The couple refused to give up and the unborn child hung on for four weeks as they fought to give her a chance to live – and they both survived

At 3.41pm on June 2, 2011, at 30 weeks pregnant, they decided to deliver the twins at Women’s Mercy Hospital in Melbourne and hope they would both survive.

Macie Willot Shadbolt was born at 11.59pm, weighing 1.7kg, and two minutes later her sister Harper Reese Shadbolt entered the world weighing just 736g.

The couple were not able to see their babies for 14 hours as they were rushed to intensive care. Despite being born so early they had no long-term health issues.

Ms Shadbolt had the words ‘miracles happen to ones that believe’ tattooed on her forearm, along with the girls’ names.

Macie stayed in hospital for 70 days and Harper for 90 before they were ready to come home to regional Victoria.

Macie Willot Shadbolt was born at 11.59pm, weighing 1.7kg

Macie Willot Shadbolt was born at 11.59pm, weighing 1.7kg

Two minutes later her sister Harper Reese Shadbolt entered the world weighing just 736g

Two minutes later her sister Harper Reese Shadbolt entered the world weighing just 736g

Despite being born so early they had no long-term health issues

Despite being born so early they had no long-term health issues

The couple were not able to see their babies for 14 hours as they were rushed to intensive care

The couple were not able to see their babies for 14 hours as they were rushed to intensive care

Ms Shadbolt later used her twins’ survival story to encourage other parents facing premature births.

‘Premmie bubbas may be small but they have so much fight!’ she wrote on a Facebook group in 2012.

Three weeks before she disappeared, Ms Shadbolt spent Christmas in Exmouth, WA, with her daughters, now both aged seven.

They were joined by a close friend who was a bridesmaid at her October 2009 wedding, and posted photos of them playing at the beach.  

Ms Shadbolt left her home in Tom Price about 11.30am on Sunday and sent a text about 12.50pm saying she would be ‘home in 20 minutes’.

She never made it. 

Ms Shadbolt had the words 'miracles happens to ones that believe' tattooed on her forearm, along with the girls' names

Ms Shadbolt had the words ‘miracles happens to ones that believe’ tattooed on her forearm, along with the girls’ names

Macie stayed in hospital for 70 days and Harper for 90 before they were ready to come home to regional Victoria

Macie stayed in hospital for 70 days and Harper for 90 before they were ready to come home to regional Victoria

Macie stayed in hospital for 70 days and Harper for 90 before they were ready to come home to regional Victoria

Macie stayed in hospital for 70 days and Harper for 90 before they were ready to come home to regional Victoria

A huge search was mounted when she didn’t return home that day and about 7pm on Wednesday her body was discovered near Tom Price Caravan Park.

Temperatures had soared to 46C in the area, leading to fears Ms Shadbolt had suffered heatstroke.

However, police earlier on Wednesday before her body was found said they couldn’t rule out foul play.  

Ms Shadbolt regularly ran the numerous trails around the remote mountain and knew them well. She carried a CamelBak hydration pack with water for her trek.

Three weeks before she disappeared, Ms Shadbolt spent Christmas in Exmouth, WA, with her daughters, now both aged seven 

Three weeks before she disappeared, Ms Shadbolt spent Christmas in Exmouth, WA, with her daughters, now both aged seven 

Ms Shadbolt with her two daughters at the beach in Exmouth at Christmas where they holidayed with close friends

Ms Shadbolt with her two daughters at the beach in Exmouth at Christmas where they holidayed with close friends

Friends and family send condolences to her husband Drew (right) who she married in October 2009

Friends and family send condolences to her husband Drew (right) who she married in October 2009

The main track to the summit for a breathtaking view of the landscape and Rio Tinto iron ore mine is 4.5km and takes three hours.

Her car was found parked in a car park at the base of the mountain soon after her disappearance, but she was nowhere to be found.

Police said she was wearing an Apple watch for her run, but it was not connected to the internet and so couldn’t be used to trace her movements.

Ms Shadbolt moved from regional Victoria almost three years ago and was a senior site manager at recruitment firm WorkPac.

Friends and family flooded social media with tributes to the recruitment officer, along with best wishes for her husband and children. 

The tributes were preceded by desperate pleas for Ms Shadbolt to come home and promises to find her, as the search continued. 

About 35 people had been involved in a ground search including police, SES and members of the local community in the early hours of Tuesday

About 35 people had been involved in a ground search including police, SES and members of the local community in the early hours of Tuesday

Ms Shadbolt, 36, failed to return from a walk on Mount Nameless in the Pilbara outback, Western Australia

Ms Shadbolt, 36, failed to return from a walk on Mount Nameless in the Pilbara outback, Western Australia

Ms Shadbolt, affectionately known as 'Flick' was described as being 150-155cm tall, of slim build and blonde hair with two ponytails 

Ms Shadbolt, affectionately known as ‘Flick’ was described as being 150-155cm tall, of slim build and blonde hair with two ponytails 

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