Section 1
Less than 24 hours had passed since baby Theo’s birth, but something was clearly wrong. He could barely breathe, he was so weak, he couldn’t even feed.
By the time six hours had gone by without feeding, the doctors were getting concerned,” said Theo’s mum, Josephine. “They brought in the pediatrician, then they returned with a whole team of people. I was beginning to get very unsettled.
As each hour crept by, the situation grew more and more uncertain, and soon, Theo was covered in IV fluid cables, an oxygen intake tube, and undergoing specialised tests.
Theo was potentially suffering from pneumothorax, a life-threatening condition in which air collects between the lungs and chest wall. “I felt so helpless,” said Josephine. “I was in shock and so unprepared.”
After 48 hours had passed with no signs of improvement, Josephine recalls, “Theo wasn’t critical yet, but the doctors explained he could now go downhill rapidly.”
Every extra hour, every extra minute, could mean a different outcome for Theo. He needed urgent access to the most specialised neonatal care available, and you gave him that option. A call was lodged with Life Flight and soon after, one of the Life Flight’s Air Ambulances touched down at Whanganui Airport.
