“I’ve been an ongoing patient at the Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic for the past seven years.”
Just days after giving birth to her first daughter, Kelly Smorgon looks content. Her difficult road to motherhood is now complete.
In February, Kelly and husband Steve welcomed their daughter Piper at the Women’s. They also have two sons – Jackson, 6, (from Kelly’s first marriage) and Jake, 3, (from Steve's first marriage).
We caught up with Kelly just before she gave birth to Piper. She had just had an appointment with Mark Umstad, Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Professor Shaun Brennecke, Head of the Women’s Pregnancy Research Centre, who helped guide Kelly and Steve on their journey to becoming parents.
Kelly spoke about children, her marriage to Steve - and that famous surname. For the record, yes, the family is descendant from Eric Smorgon. Steve is the son of Robert and Grandson of Eric Smorgon. Eric was the eldest of the Smorgon sons and he established the Escor Group and the Jack and Robert Smorgon Families Foundation. The Foundation was formed to represent the philanthropic values of Jack and Robert Smorgon and their families, not purely to provide financial contributions to worthy causes, but to keep the family involved.
Kelly knows that to some she may appear to have it all; the enviable lifestyle and the familiar family name. But what almost eluded her was what she and Steve wanted most: children.
“I have had six miscarriages,” Kelly said. “We couldn’t pinpoint why it happened, why we were suffering recurring miscarriages. I had endometriosis, was that a reason?
“We did ask Prof Brennecke whether the endometriosis was causing recurrent miscarriage, but there has been no conclusive research. That’s something we would like to see investigated because Steve and I, and I am sure many other couples who go through this, would like to better understand why recurrent miscarriage happens.
"I've been an ongoing patient at The Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic for the past seven years. After many blood tests, sometimes a solution cannot be found until the moment in which it happens and by then it may be too late.
“During my pregnancy with Jackson and now Piper I was kept under close observation for the first 14 weeks. Weekly visits to the hospital and constant ultrasounds provided peace of mind that the baby was still healthy. I have no explanation why Steve and I were successful this time, but the whole family feels blessed to have her."
That is why, through the Jack and Robert Smorgon Families Foundation, Kelly and Steve have donated $10,000 to buy an i-stat machine for the Women’s Emergency Centre. This equipment allows emergency staff to quickly test hormone levels in pregnant women presenting at emergency.