A couple from
Rochester have been reunited with the ambulance team which came to
their aid when mum-to-be Carly Walker started fitting and collapsed
at 35 weeks pregnant.
Carly, 37, attended Medway ambulance station recently with baby
Naomi, now five months old, and husband Nick to personally thank
all those involved in responding to them on 27 July, one of the
hottest days of the year.
First to arrive at the family home, after call taker Joanne
Hards had taken Nick’s 999 call was Critical Care Paramedic, Luke
Hamilton. Luke was quick to realise the seriousness of the
situation.
He said: “My immediate concern was that Carly was suffering from
eclamptic seizures. As soon as I’d taken her blood pressure this
was confirmed and I knew I had to administer a magnesium sulphate
infusion and that ultimately she had to deliver her baby as soon as
possible.”
Luke liaised with a consultant to agree a course of action
involving administering the drug to attempt to lower Carly’s blood
pressure. As the plan was agreed, Carly suffered a further seizure.
By this time crew mates George Osborne and Adrian DeBari had
arrived with an ambulance. Medication was administered to stop the
seizure and the team then worked together to get Carly safely to
the ambulance from the top of the couple’s town house, which
involved removing a bedroom door.
Carly was then rushed to Medway Maritime Hospital, which Luke
had contacted in advance to enable them to ready a team for her
arrival. Carly delivered Naomi by caesarean section and spent a
week receiving further treatment in hospital before being
discharged with a healthy Naomi.
Luke said: “It’s been lovely to meet with Carly and Nick in much
better circumstances with her and Naomi doing so well. In my 14
years as a paramedic this is the only time I have attended a
patient who is not pre-eclamptic but suffering from actual
eclamptic seizures.
“We knew we had to act quickly to provide some immediate
treatment at the scene but that ultimately Carly needed to deliver
to bring her blood pressure down from such a dangerous level. Nick
was amazing. He was the textbook husband and did everything we
needed him to do including letting us know the detail of Carly’s
medical history and reassuring Carly. On behalf of the whole team
I’d like to wish them all a very happy and peaceful Christmas.”
Pharmacy Technician, Carly said: “We’re both so thankful for
everything Luke and the team. It all happened so suddenly without
any warning. I had been booked in for a C-section for unrelated
reasons but of course that all had to be brought forward. I’d also
like to thank everyone at the hospital including the
multi-disciplinary team responsible for my care led by Miriam.
“I’m receiving some ongoing treatment to help with my blood
pressure levels which are still a little raised but we’re all doing
really well and Naomi is perfect. Thank you to everyone for
ensuring we received the help we needed so quickly.”