A mother living in a homeless encampment amid a housing crisis gave birth to twins in a tent but police tragically found one had died while the other was rushed to hospital in a critical condition
A woman secretly gave birth in a tent to twins but one baby sadly died – her family has hit out at trolls and claimed they had no idea she was pregnant.
Emergency services attended a campsite near a riverside where they found a 37-year-old woman along with the body of a baby and its twin, who was alive. The woman and surviving baby were treated at the scene before they were taken to hospital, as the infant was in a critical condition.
The heartbreaking discovery was made at a makeshift homeless encampment near Wagga Beach, in Wagga Wagga, Australia – an area locals said has become a refuge amid a local housing crisis.
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It is thought the 37-year-old mum had been living in the tent with her partner for around five months, before she was found by police, and had other children who did not live on the site with her.
After the tragic news was released, rumours about the situation spread online but the 37-year-old’s cousin, Beck Lee, hit out at people online.
She took to her social media and said: “This is my cousin you’re all talking about. Before you keep making assumptions and spreading lies, understand this – you don’t know her or her situation.”
The cousin claimed the family had no idea the 37-year-old was expecting or had given birth. Lee added: “Our family wasn’t even aware of the pregnancy, but one thing I will make very clear is that she has never had issues with drugs or alcohol.”
She added that the mum had allegedly been fleeing domestic violence and had struggled to find housing amid the crisis, according to the Daily Mail. The cousin added: “She was actively trying to secure housing, but anyone who understands the current rental crisis in Wagga knows how near-impossible that is. The waitlists for public housing are enormous, and she was doing her best in a system that is already overwhelmed.”
Officials added that the mother has since been discharged and the surviving twin was transferred to a hospital in Sydney. Police added that there were no suspicious circumstances in this case.
The cousin added that the family was trying to help the mum and called on people to show “respect” and “basic human decency”. Lee said: “As a family, we are doing everything we can to support her. It hasn’t been easy, and like many people facing hardship, she hasn’t always felt able to accept help, but that does not make her deserving of this kind of treatment.”
The Minister for Housing in New South Wales, Rose Jackson, said the case was “heartbreaking” and called for a probe to be launched. She said: “The death of any member of our homelessness community is tragic, but the death of a newborn baby is beyond comprehension.”
Jackson added: “A lot is still unknown about this tragic event and as such I’ve asked Homes NSW for a full investigation into the family’s circumstances.” Local councillor Richard Foley said the encampment, where the mum and twins were found, has grown bigger each year.
