Doctors treating Kerrie and Greg Clark’s first born, Ivy, knew within minutes of her birth that she needed more than they could offer at Cootamundra regional hospital. Ivy’s breathing was a cause for concern, so within minutes Telstra Child Flight was called in to transport the newborn to emergency intensive care.

While a NETS * paediatrics team assisted the doctor over the phone and Ivy was being prepared to fly, her mother Kerrie prepared for the worst.

“When the doctor let us know that a helicopter was coming to get her, I realised things were not good.”

With two doctors and the midwife helping with Ivy ’s breathing, her parents waited for the helicopter to arrive. Kerrie says “I heard the chopper coming just when the sun was coming up – we were both a real mess as you can imagine, but when I had it together I comforted Greg and vice versa." 

Because of the importance of little Ivy’s oxygen levels, it took some time to stabilise her for the flight to Canberra Hospital, where a specialist critical care unit was awaiting her arrival.

"Watching them take her away in the intensive-care crib with so many things hooked up to her and watching the helicopter fly off was something I’ll never forget," recalls Kerrie,“Also knowing things were still not good for our baby girl." Kerrie recalls her relief when the chopper arrived in Canberra;“The nurse rang my husband to let us know they were in Canberra - which was a huge relief – and that Ivy was now in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on all their machines.

“She stayed in the NICU for two weeks and the doctors just couldn’t believe how fast she bounced back."

Ivy is now doing very well, and is just like any other healthy baby girl – living proof of the results achieved by the dedicated pilots of Telstra Child Flight and the NETS medical team.

Kerrie has no doubts about Ivy’s survival;  “We still count our lucky stars, and are so thankful for the Child Flight chopper and the NETS team. Without them I’m afraid to think how things could have turned out. We just feel so thankful and grateful to everyone who was involved. We are just so lucky to have such things in this country like the Telstra Child Flight chopper and the NETS* team."

“Ivy’s our little miracle. She gave us a hell of a start to parenthood," said Kerrie wryly."I’ll have lots to tell her about the day she was born into this world!”

*NETS stands for 'NSW newborn & paediatric Emergency Transport Service'