Patty was 19 weeks pregnant when she lost her baby. An 'unfair' rule means ... trends now
A grieving mum has been forced to return to work just two weeks after giving birth to a stillborn because of an 'unfair' rule preventing her from receiving financial aid.
Patty van Duijn, 29, was just over 19 weeks pregnant with her son Mason when she 'had no choice' but to terminate the pregnancy due to complications.
The Adelaide woman applied for Centrelink's stillborn baby payment to help cover her bills and rent while she grieves, only to find out she isn't eligible because of a 'disgusting' rule.
According to Services Australia, you may be able to receive a one-off lump sum payment of $4,059.17 for a stillbirth which meets their definition.
Patty van Duijn, 29, was just over 19 weeks pregnant with her son Mason when she 'had no choice' but to terminate the pregnancy due to complications
According to Services Australia, you may be able to receive a one-off lump sum payment of $4,059.17 for a stillbirth which meets their definition
To be considered stillborn, a baby also had to have a gestation period of at least 20 weeks or weighed at least 400 grams at their birth, according to its website.
Mason weighed just 230 grams when he was born at 19 weeks and one day.
'I'm still going through this whole process of giving birth and holding a baby that's not alive. It's very traumatic and really hard, but now I have to think about going back to work,' Ms van Duijn told Yahoo.
'I'm just unsure of who made this decision, and if they actually know what people go through, but a week shouldn't be a difference because it's still the experience, the trauma and everything that comes with it.'
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