Karen is a committed campaigner for family-led and family-centred care during pregnancy loss. Karen lost her only children, Charlie and Sophia, during the second trimester of each pregnancy. Through these experiences, she has become a passionate, empathetic and effective advocate for those facing pregnancy complications and loss.
In 2019, Karen appeared before the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly’s Inquiry into Maternity Services in the ACT. Karen detailed her experience in losing Charlie, and the ways in which the maternity system needs to better support grieving families. As a result of Karen’s advocacy, the Standing Committee made a number of recommendations supporting the exploration of better care during perinatal loss.
On 24 March 2023, as a result of Karen’s advocacy, the ACT Minister for Health opened a 3-bed, inpatient unit at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children. The unit is dedicated to providing care for pregnant people experiencing pregnancy complications and pregnancy loss.
In 2022, Karen was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to explore volunteer programs providing in-hospital support for families experiencing pregnancy loss. In April – June 2023, Karen travelled to the United Kingdom, United States and Canada to meet with hospital, hospice and community organisations providing in-hospital volunteer care during pregnancy loss. Karen’s Churchill Fellowship report was published in late 2024.
In 2023, Karen was invited to be a member of the management committee for the newly formed Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition (EPLC), an Australian collaboration including peak professional bodies, expert clinicians, researchers, economists and major early pregnancy loss support organisations.
Karen has also been invited to participate as a consumer representative on working groups for maternity initiatives, including the draft Model of Care for the ACT hospital unit and Maternity in Focus: The ACT Public Maternity System Plan 2022-2032. Karen is currently a member of the ACT Maternity in Focus Advisory Group, the Western Australia Stillbirth Action Implementation Network and the Western Australia New Women and Babies Hospital Project Perinatal Loss Space group.
In September 2024, ACT Labor made an election commitment to pilot a birth companion program in the ACT, as a result of Karen’s Churchill Fellowship findings and recommendations. ACT Labor also made a commitment to open a second ACT early pregnancy unit.
In October 2024, Karen was awarded the Lifeline Canberra Spirit of Canberra People’s Choice Award, and was a finalist for the Spirit of Resilience award, for her commitment to effecting positive change in the Canberra community.
Curtin University appointed Karen as Australia’s first maternity Consumer Fellow for the Measuring what Matters to Australian Mothers (MMAMs) study in January 2025. In December 2025, Karen was awarded the Best Oral Presentation award at the ISPOR/ISOQOL Advancing Patient-Centred Research Down Under conference for her presentation about the MMAMs study and the innovative Consumer Fellow role.
In November 2025, Karen was humbled to be a finalist for the 2026 ACT Australian of the Year award.
Karen volunteers with a number of community organisations, and created the Early Loss program at Angel Gowns Australia. She also spent five years as a volunteer with the ACT’s hospice, Clare Holland House – an experience that helped to shape her compassionate approach to companioning families suffering pregnancy loss.
Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice from the Australian National University. Karen was part-way through a Bachelor of Midwifery degree, but paused her studies upon realising her passion lies primarily in providing personal support to families experiencing pregnancy loss.
Karen Schlage 