Like it or not, whether you are 5 or 55, we all love recognition - in fact as adults we crave it! The note of thanks and appreciation we received from the parents of Baby L, whom we transported from Nairobi Kenya, had me beaming for days. Does that mean we do our work at Air Rescue Africa only for the recognition? Most definitely not! We do it just because…..
When the alarm centre calls and asks if I’m available to do a flight, the answer is yes! So when I received the call to fly with a 3 day old baby from Nairobi, I did not hesitate and immediately agreed to take on the challenge.
It is rare to get an accurate and complete picture of the patient’s condition prior to our arrival and the anticipation keeps us on our toes. As always, whilst making my way to Lanseria airport, the adrenaline was pumping and my brain ticking away to try to predict what the situation may be like at our destination. I phoned my friend and fellow neonatal flight nurse, Sue Beddy, who gave me her usual advice – “keep the baby warm and comfortable and let your heart lead your hands”. By the time I had reached the airport, I was prepared and knew that a number of prayers had already been said for little Baby L.
On arrival at the hospital, we are met by the baby’s parents who are missionaries from Pretoria, South Africa working in the remote areas of Kenya. Our primary assessment of the baby indicates respiratory distress and we changed ventilation support from a re-breather mask to nasal cannula. Then we commenced cardio-pulmonary monitoring, assessed blood gas status, glucose status, intravenous access, loaded the baby into the transport incubator, obtained consent for transport and prepared to travel back to Johannesburg. We also had to ensure the mother’s comfort as she had had a Caesarean section only 3 days prior. As soon as mom and baby were settled, we headed off into the blue African sky.
We arrived safely at Lanseria airport and travelled to the receiving private hospital via road ambulance. Baby L’s grandparents were waiting for him at the hospital and emotions were charged as we handed over care of the young patient to the excellent receiving facility. Baby L’s condition had fortunately already improved since our meeting a few hours earlier in Nairobi and we were all hopeful that he would make a full recovery.
As we travelled back to Lanseria for the task of re-packing and re-stocking, I silently gave thanks for the opportunity, privilege and guidance to do what we do. What an honour to provide hope to a mother and child, when they need it most.
From the Editor - Baby L’s parents have written to us to express their appreciation for the service we provided to their family and assured us that Baby L has made a full recovery.
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WE DO JUST BECAUSE...
