The pivotal clinical judgement made by a Thanet crew had a significant impact on the outcome of a 12-day-old baby who was reunited with her care givers in a recent reunion.
Now 18-months-old, Evanna from Canterbury in Kent was able to reunite with Paramedic, Lauren and Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Mia, at a reunion at Thanet Make Ready Centre in May.
Despite initial observations looking fine when Lauren and Mia attended the family home in January 2025, Lauren’s instincts said there was something more going on.
Mum, Rebecca said “Even though the readings looked fine, Lauren could tell something wasn’t right. She didn’t just rely on the machine. She trusted what she was seeing in front of her. I’ll never forget her saying they don’t take risks with babies.”
Evanna was blue-lighted to hospital, with Lauren closely monitoring her breathing throughout the journey. Oxygen was administered en-route and critical care support was alerted. On arrival, she was taken directly to the resuscitation area, where a full paediatric team was already waiting.
Although she did not outwardly appear critically unwell, concerns raised by the crew led to urgent investigations.
Lauren’s gut feeling proved to be spot on as Evanna was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, including coarctation of the aorta and a large ventricular septal defect (VSD). Later that night, she was transferred to a London hospital where her condition deteriorated and she had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery lasting 11 hours to repair her heart.
Following a second operation and a period of intensive care, Evanna eventually stabilised and began her recovery journey.
Lauren said “Meeting Evanna and her family again after all this time is incredibly special. You carry cases like this with you and seeing her doing well with her siblings and so grown up is everything you hope for in this job.”
Rebecca has described how after spending her first five days in NICU with suspected sepsis, her daughter initially appeared to be recovering. But within days of returning home, she became increasingly sleepy, struggled with feeding, developed blotchy skin and showed signs of unusually fast breathing. Although initial community midwifery checks were not immediately concerning, her condition continued to worsen.
Rebecca said “If Lauren and Mia hadn’t trusted their instincts when everything on the monitor looked reassuring, I don’t think Evanna would be here today. They saw what others might have missed.”
After a long period of recovery, Evanna is doing well. She has a pulmonary artery band in place and a small residual VSD, which doctors are hopeful may close without further surgery. She is growing, developing and meeting milestones and her family describe her as full of personality.
Julie Ormrod, Consultant Paramedic Urgent & Emergency Care, said "This case highlights the importance of combining clinical assessment with professional curiosity and judgement. While Evanna’s initial observations appeared reassuring, Lauren and Mia recognised that something was not right and acted on those concerns. Their decision to escalate care ensured Evanna received the specialist treatment she urgently needed. Congenital heart conditions such as coarctation of the aorta can be difficult to identify in newborn babies, making the crew’s assessment and advocacy particularly significant. It is wonderful to see Evanna thriving today and to recognise the impact that excellent pre-hospital care can have on a patient's outcome."
Mia said “You learn early on in this job to listen closely to what you see in front of you and to trust the wider picture a mother is giving you. In this case, that combination of Rebecca’s instinct and observation really mattered. Seeing Evanna now thriving is incredibly rewarding and we wish her the best for her future.”
During their visit to Thanet MRC, the family were also able to reunite with Trainee Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Taylor who was called to the family home when Evanna was suffering with a chest infection post discharge from hospital. Taylor, alongside Mia and Lauren gave all the little ones a tour of the station and a behind the scenes look in an ambulance.