Sydney nurse dies on honeymoon in Fiji from severe pneumonia: family

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Sydney nurse dies on honeymoon in Fiji from severe pneumonia: family

By William McInnes
Updated

The honeymoon in Fiji of Sydney couple Chase and Kelly Clarke has ended in tragedy.

Mrs Clarke, 24, of Sydney, was taken to hospital last week after falling ill but she died on Friday.

Her family has revealed she died of severe bilateral pneumonia, the Nine Network reported on Sunday night.

"I spoke to her and she told me she was scared she was going to die," her husband told Nine.

"I told her I loved her, we're going to get out of here, everything's going to be OK."

Kelly Clarke, who died in Fiji on Friday, with husband Chase Clarke.

Kelly Clarke, who died in Fiji on Friday, with husband Chase Clarke.Credit: Facebook

Mr Clarke described the agonising decision to direct medical staff to cease working on his wife.

"I said 'stop' and pushed everyone away and me and her mother just held her," he said.

In a statement provided to Nine, the family described Mrs Clarke as "an amazing human being".

"She was so young. She had her whole life ahead of her," they wrote.

"She will be deeply missed and she was loved by all."

Mrs Clarke, who was a post-operative nurse at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, became ill on Wednesday but believed it to be a stomach bug.

She was taken to Lautoka Hospital, north of Nadi, where a short time later she was told she had contracted typhoid.

She was placed into an induced coma due to organ failure and septicaemia and was reportedly in a very unstable condition.

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Chase and Kelly Clarke had been celebrating their honeymoon after getting married in April.

Chase and Kelly Clarke had been celebrating their honeymoon after getting married in April.Credit: Facebook

It was initially suspected that she had died due to typhoid, but blood tests revealed that the disease was not to blame.

Mrs Clarke's sister Tam Brown started a fundraiser to bring her home for emergency treatment.

"She needs a medivac ASAP as Fiji don't have the medications she needs," she wrote, but Ms Clarke died before she could be evacuated.

Mrs Clarke's brother, Murray Shaw, said in a Facebook post she had gone into cardiac arrest five times within an hour before her death.

"We are so shocked," he wrote. "You beautiful girl and amazing sister you will be deeply missed."

Mr and Mrs Clarke were married in April and had been in Fiji for their honeymoon and to attend a friend's wedding.

Her mother had flown out to Fiji to meet Mr Clarke, while her father and siblings remained in Australia.

A spokeswoman for The Children's Hospital offered condolences to Mrs Clarke's family, friends and colleagues on Sunday.

"Kelly was a dedicated nurse who loved working with children and will be greatly missed by her colleagues and patients," she said in a statement.

Friends and relatives paid tribute to Mrs Clarke on social media, with one co-worker remembering "an amazing woman, a brilliant nurse and such a kind and gentle soul".

"She was one of the most beautiful, caring, giving people I have ever been lucky enough to meet," another person wrote.

A former colleague said Mrs Clarke was always a positive person who would be greatly missed.

"Kelly was a truly kindhearted person who had a strong passion for helping others," the colleague told Fairfax Media.

"Working with her was always a joy as she was always positive and brightened the room with her presence. We will all miss her greatly."

The family are still urging people to contribute to the fundraiser for Mrs Clarke with the money raised set to go towards bringing her body home and her funeral costs.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement that they were providing consular assistance to Mrs Clarke's family.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance, in accordance with the Consular Services Charter, to the family of an Australian woman who passed away in Fiji."

With AAP

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