THE family of a baby whose life was left hanging in the balance after falling ill on holiday has met the air ambulance crew which saved her.
Rachel Hall’s 16-month-old baby, Scarlett, started struggling to breathe while they were at a cottage in Bamburgh, Northumberland, on July 31.
When paramedics arrived, they realised the severity of the situation and called for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) which had a doctor on-board.
GNAAS doctor, Rachel Hawes, and paramedic Terry Sharpe, found she was critically ill and was in ‘peri-arrest’, the recognised period just before someone suffers a full cardiac arrest.
The GNAAS team carried out an advanced operation called intraosseous infusion, drilling holes into the youngster’s legs to inject medication directly into the marrow of the bone.
After treatment, Scarlett was flown to the Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary in a critical condition.
Dr Hawes said: “We were very concerned that she was not going to make the flight to hospital.”
The youngster was kept in intensive care for three days and spent a further five days on a ward. She was diagnosed with diabetes.
Dr Hawes said: “It was certainly the most serious case of diabetes which I’ve seen in someone so young.”
Mrs Hall, of Blyth, Northumberland, said: “They saved her life. If it wasn’t for the air ambulance getting her to hospital so quickly then she wouldn’t have made it.
“We have been told by many doctors how close it really was. We call her a miracle child now.”
Now, five weeks after the incident, Mrs Hall and her children, Scarlett and Aiden, and their dad, John Hall, has met the air ambulance crew at their base in Langwathby, Cumbria.
Mrs Hall, 29, said: “It’s been brilliant to thank them in person. At the time, it was such a whirlwind and a mad rush. I had to stay calm for both of my children.”
Mrs Hall added that Scarlett, who is now 17-months old, is back to her normal happy self.
Dr Hawes said: “It was such a pleasure to see Scarlett looking so much better.
“She is a fighter and is testament to the work of the air ambulance which saves lives around the region every week.”
GNAAS is a charity which relies entirely on the generosity of the public to survive. They need to raise £4.5m every year to stay operational.
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