"It was the skill of these people that kept me alive."
February 1, 2017
"I was back on my feet within a couple of weeks, thanks to the GWAAC team"
April 27, 2017
Little Aurora-Mae was happily watching her favourite television programme with her dad, when in an instant she suffered a life-threatening seizure. If the two-year-old was to survive she needed help fast.
It was just a normal day for the family. Aurora-Mae had spent the day at a soft play centre with her parents and baby sister, and was watching Paw Patrol on TV before bed. Her father Chris turned away to pick something up, and when he turned back he saw his little girl on the floor having a seizure.
It is something every parent dreads and for Samantha and Chris seeing Aurora-Mae in that position was very frightening. Luckily Chris was able to take control of the situation, due to his experience in his previous job with the ambulance service. He managed Aurora-Mae’s airway so that she could breathe while they waited for help.
The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity were called, and Critical Care Paramedic James Yates and Critical Care Doctor Cosmo Scurr sped to the scene in our critical care car, arriving just a few minutes later. As the family live not far from our airbase, it was quicker and easier for the crew to attend by car.
When they arrived Aurora-Mae’s seizure had ended but she was in a very confused state, and the crew were concerned about how long this was lasting. They assessed her and decided that she needed to go the Bristol Children’s Hospital for further observation and treatment. James commented:
“Cosmo and I raced across to see Aurora-Mae after reports that she was having a prolonged seizure. The ambulance crew that arrived before us had begun treating her condition and as we walked through the door we were relieved to see that she was no longer fitting. However as we assessed her it became clear that Aurora-Mae was still not fully recovered and her mum was understandably concerned. We decided that the best course of action was not to intervene further, but to make Aurora-Mae comfortable in the ambulance whilst continually monitoring her condition and reassuring her and her mum. We blue-lighted her to Bristol Children’s Hospital and on the way we called the doctors to alert them to her condition. This phone call meant that as we arrived at hospital we were immediately met by a welcoming team of doctors and nurses.
We were very pleased to hear that Aurora-Mae had been discharged home safe and well and in particular that she wanted to come and see us to say thank you. It was fabulous to see her again and have the opportunity to get to know the real Aurora-Mae! She brightened up our day no end with her bubbly character and obsession with the blue lights in the critical care car!”
Aurora-Mae’s mum Samantha said:
“We just want to say a big thank you to Cosmo and James for looking after Aurora-Mae, and also for keeping me calm and reassuring me. They were amazing.”
If you or someone you know has been helped by the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity team, we’d love to invite you to meet the crew who help you. You can get in touch using our Contact form.
“We just want to say a big thank you to Cosmo and James for looking after Aurora-Mae, and also for keeping me calm and reassuring me. They were amazing.”
Aurora-Mae behind the wheel of a critical care car
14% of our patients in 2021 were children or teenagers.
