Nadia’s Story
When 28-week-pregnant Trish Ryan and husband Ben went for an antenatal check at Wellington Hospital, Trish mentioned how queasy she was feeling to her doctors, who quickly undertook several tests.
Trish was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia toxaemia and HELP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and a low platelet count). The combination and severity of both conditions meant that Trish was at risk of bleeding, liver and blood pressure problems, multiple organ damage or failure, seizures and strokes.
The only course of action was early delivery, so Trish and her baby needed a specialist neonatal unit. Both Wellington’s and Auckland’s units were full, but there was a bed at Queen Mary Hospital’s neonatal unit in Dunedin.
Trish and Ben were flown from Wellington to Dunedin on the Wellington-based air ambulance with Capital & Coast District Health Board’s specialist clinical team.
Trish says, “The whole thing was just surreal. We went from a routine antenatal check to facing a life-threatening situation. Being able to have Ben with me on the air ambulance was just invaluable. I’m not one to dramatise, but the situation was pretty scary, so having Ben with me helped a lot.
“The Life Flight people made me feel very safe too. Even though I was on a plane, it was honestly just like being in hospital: I was attached to all kinds of medical equipment and was obviously surrounded by professionals who cared for me extremely well.”
Nadia Ryan was born safely, weighing 965 grams (the average birth weight of a full-term baby is around 3.5kg). After nine weeks in hospital she was allowed home, only fitting a clothes range by Pumpkin Patch meant for children’s teddy bears. Thankfully, her teddy bear has its clothes back now.
Share your story here.
Help Life Flight create more success stories like these.
