A heartbroken mother has shared a photograph of the moment she realised her baby son would die of whooping cough.
Catherine Hughes' son Riley died at only 32 days old after developing the disease and too young to receive the vaccine in Australia at just six weeks old.
Only after his death did she realise that had she been vaccinated during her pregnancy her son may have had a better chance at fighting the disease.
Hughes posted the photo to her Facebook page Light for Riley, a campaign that raises awareness and protect babies & families from vaccine-preventable diseases.
"This is the moment my heart broke. This is the moment I realised you were unlikely to make it," she wrote.
"This is the moment my life turned upside down. This is the moment I wanted to throw up in fear."
In an interview with Kidspot, she said: "When the doctor gently told us that Riley was likely not going to make it, I felt like someone had reached into my chest and gripped my heart tightly, squeezing it.
"My stomach felt like it was filled with rocks and my hands started to shake."
She said she didn't think the tragedy could occur in her family after being supportive of vaccination.
But despite thinking her life would be destroyed by her son's death, she said she has managed to persevere through the immense pain.
"I still have bad hours, and bad days, but I know that it's important to appreciate that fact that I am still alive. Riley didn't get his chance at a good life, and I will not waste mine," she said.