Transport Team there for kids like Liam
Injuries and illness can happen to kids anytime, anywhere — for those living in rural centres, the Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team from the Alberta Children’s Hospital is literally a lifeline.
An Emergency Department nurse in the Crowsnest Pass, Lindsey has cared for countless patients with myriad illnesses and injuries — she never imagined one day she would be rushing her own child into work.
Lindsey was hosting a friend in her family’s Coleman, Alberta yard when her youngest, Liam, started seizing on the trampoline. “He just collapsed, right in front of me,” mom recalls.
Living only minutes from the hospital, Lindsey and Brent scooped up their little boy and took him to her Emergency Department where her colleagues sprang to action. It was while waiting for an x-ray that Liam suffered another seizure. Then his breathing deteriorated.
Lindsey watched as her friends worked to stabilize their little boy and intubate him. They called on the Alberta Children’s Hospital, and Lindsey was relieved to hear they would be dispatching the donor-funded Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team to bring Liam to the Alberta Children’s Hospital where he would receive the expert pediatric care he needed.
Where Your Money Goes
Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team
Critical illness or injury are not confined to the Calgary area. For young patients and their families living in rural centres without immediate access to expert pediatric care, the Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team from the Alberta Children’s Hospital is literally their lifeline.
“It all happened really quick and we were so grateful to hear the Transport team was coming for him. I’ve had encounters with them before as a nurse — when it’s your own kid, it’s a completely different experience.”
— Lindsey, Liam’s mom
Brent climbed in the back of the ambulance while Lindsey followed behind. It was the longest drive of her life, she says, not knowing what was wrong with her boy and fearful of all the possibilities.
When they arrived, experts went immediately to work. Viral swabs, a CT scan, a lumbar puncture to test for meningitis, then an EEG test, which showed normal brain function — no seizure activity. Every test came back with good news, but no answers. Meanwhile, Liam’s condition improved — he was moved from the PICU to an inpatient unit where the results from his viral swab would reveal Liam had contracted rhinovirus, enterovirus, and hand, foot and mouth disease — and all three were attacking his system simultaneously. With close monitoring and care, it didn’t take long for Liam to recover and return to Coleman with his family.
Lindsey is grateful that rural families like hers can access the kind of expert pediatric care the Alberta Children’s Hospital provides, thanks to donor-supported programs like the Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team.
“As soon as they get there, you are so relieved to see them. You know they’re the ultimate experts in pediatric care and they have all the equipment the kids need to be safely transported. We are so lucky to have a resource like that,” says Lindsey.
You can read more about how your support of the Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team impacts the lives of so many kids and families.
Make a Donation
Your gift, no matter how large or how small, makes a big difference!
Share this story
