The Melbourne community is grieving the heartbreaking loss of Stacey Warnecke (Hatfield), who passed away on September 29, 2025, following rare and unexpected complications after giving birth to her first child, Axel. Stacey’s husband, Nathan, shared the devastating news in an emotional tribute that has touched hearts across Victoria and beyond.

According to Nathan, Stacey had successfully delivered their son at home, surrounded by love and excitement. However, soon after the delivery, she developed an unforeseen and extremely rare complication. Despite being transferred to hospital and receiving urgent medical care, she tragically passed away shortly afterward. Nathan expressed his gratitude to the hospital staff, acknowledging their “amazing efforts” to save her life.

“Words can’t do justice to how devastating this is for myself and everyone who knew and loved her,” Nathan wrote. “She was my lighthouse in the storm, and the world is less bright without her in it.”

The couple had been together for nine years and married on a white-sand beach in the Maldives, a day Nathan described as the happiest of his life. He remembered Stacey as beautiful, loving, caring, hardworking, and intelligent — a woman who lived with deep purpose and radiated warmth to everyone she met.

“Everything I have in life is thanks to her,” Nathan said. “She made me the man I am today.”

Stacey was known not only for her loving nature but also for her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for healthy living. In 2019, she founded Natural Spoonfuls, a wellness-focused company that promoted clean, additive-free eating and natural lifestyles. In 2023, she expanded her work by launching Waffl, a social media content creation agency dedicated to helping food brands share their stories authentically and creatively. Her determination, discipline, and business acumen earned her respect across her industry.

Beyond her professional success, Stacey was happiest when living simply and close to nature. She loved quiet mornings with a cup of green tea and her French bulldog, Winter, by her side. Friends describe her as a “child of the universe,” grounded, free-spirited, and grateful for life’s smallest joys.

A passionate traveler, Stacey explored the world with Nathan — climbing the Arctic fjords of Norway, swimming in the blue lakes of Switzerland, and collecting memories that Nathan says he will “cherish for the rest of his life.”

Above all else, Stacey’s greatest dream was to become a mother. “It was her life’s biggest dream to be a mum. She did it — on her terms, exactly the way she always dreamed,” Nathan shared. “She loved being pregnant and told our son she loved him every day for the last nine months. She held Axel when he was born, saw that he was a boy, and loved him. She loved him so much — and still continues to love him.”

Nathan expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support he and his family have received during this painful time. He said the only comfort he can find is knowing that Stacey’s final moments were filled with pure happiness — holding her newborn son for the first time.

“Her memory will remain with those of us who knew her as the ditzy, green-eyed, blonde-haired girl whose smile could fill a room,” he wrote. “Thank you for a wonderful life together, my love. I know this isn’t the end. I look forward to seeing you again someday.”

Stacey Warnecke will be remembered as a loving wife, devoted mother, and inspiring woman whose grace, ambition, and light touched countless lives. Her legacy of love, creativity, and authenticity will live on through her husband Nathan, her son Axel, and all who were blessed to know her.