Australian wellness influencer Stacey Warnecke, née Hatfield, has died due to a rare complication following a home birth. Her husband, Nathan Warnecke, shared the news in an emotional Instagram tribute on Sunday, October 19.
Stacey, a nutritionist and content creator for the Natural Spoonfuls website, gave birth to the couple’s first child, Axel, at home. She passed away on September 29.
Nathan confirmed that an “unforeseen and extremely rare complication” arose shortly after the birth. She was transferred to a hospital, but medical staff were ultimately unable to save her.
“The hospital staff were incredible and did everything they could to help, but ultimately nothing could be done despite their best efforts,” Nathan wrote.
His Instagram post featured several photos of the couple, including images from their Maldives wedding and Stacey during her pregnancy.
Nathan shared his profound grief, describing Stacey as “the light of my life and the reason I woke up in the morning.” He emphasized that no words could convey the devastation for him and everyone who knew and loved her.
“She was my beacon in the storm and the world is less bright without her,” he stated. Nathan praised her as “the most beautiful, loving, caring, hardworking, disciplined, intelligent, and reliable person I have ever met.”
The Natural Spoonfuls Instagram account also posted a tribute, which included a photo of baby Axel and images of Nathan holding his son. The post, written by one of Stacey’s close friends, announced that a family member had established a GoFundMe page for Nathan.
“Stacey and Nathan lived a quiet and loving life. They would never have asked for help. So I ask for help on their behalf,” the post read. It noted Nathan is navigating fatherhood with “unimaginable strength and grace.”
Nathan’s tribute also reflected on Stacey’s deep desire for motherhood. “Being a mother was the greatest dream of her life. She achieved it. Her way, exactly as she always dreamed of doing,” he wrote.
He recounted her love for being pregnant and her constant affection for their son. “She held Axel when he was born, breastfed him, saw that he was a boy, and loved him,” Nathan shared, adding, “She loved him deeply and still, she continues to love him.”
He found a measure of solace in her final moments. “If there is anything I can try to reconcile in this horrible time, it is that her last moments on earth were the happiest I have ever seen her.” Her memory, he concluded, would endure as “the blonde, green-eyed, absent-minded girl, whose smile could fill a room.”