Arriving in the buzzing ski town of Ohakune, three-year-old Eloise and her family were excited for her first trip to the snow and a fun weekend ahead.
But on that first night away, Eloise woke at midnight struggling to breathe.
Mum Adrianna knew exactly what was happening; Eloise had Stridor - a condition where the patient has difficulty breathing and swallowing.
Eloise had first experienced Stridor just three weeks before, but this time they were far away from home, in remote Ohakune. Adrianna knew the only thing they could do was call 111.
“I knew the only thing that would help Eloise breathe was to get her nebulised adrenaline as soon as possible.
"I remember feeling so relieved when the operator on the end of the line said fire, ambulance and the rescue helicopter had all been dispatched, I knew then Eloise was going to be ok,” said Adrianna.
The ambulance arrived within minutes and administered adrenaline which gave her some relief, and the rescue helicopter arrived shortly after.
Rene, the Critical Care Flight Paramedic on board the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter knew Eloise’s condition was severe and that she needed to get to hospital right away.
"Rene did such a good job in keeping Eloise calm. He settled and transferred her to the helicopter, making a foreign environment seem welcoming to her, which was amazing. He administered nebulised adrenaline, so by the time we lifted off for the short 25-minute flight to Whanganui Hospital she was comfortable and relaxed."
"We were soon landing at the hospital and were quickly seen by doctors. The whole experience could have been frightening, but thanks to the rescue helicopter crew, it was calm, seamless, and just much less scary for Eloise than it could have been,” says Adrianna.
"Eloise now loves to tell everyone about her exciting rescue helicopter ride. To have hospital-level care immediately on board the rescue helicopter made a huge difference to Eloise's quick recovery - we can't thank Rene and the crew enough for their care.” says a thankful Adrianna.
Flights like Eloise’s are only possible with the support of amazing donors like you – thank you!
Have you had a time-critical flight in your rescue helicopter? Our Marketing & Patient Coordinator Gillian would love to talk with you – please email Gillian at [email protected] or call 0800 11 10 10 if you would like to share your story.
