A difficult time for a ten hour old bub.

Like every expectant mother, Nicole Pearce of Canowindra was hoping for an uncomplicated birth and a healthy baby. At birth, her newborn baby girl, Georgie, appeared quite healthy. Unfortunately however, shortly afterwards, Georgie began gasping and showing signs of distress. She was suffering from ‘Meconium Aspiration’, a condition that affects the health of some newborns when tainted fluid is inhaled into the lungs, making  it difficult to breathe. Although most cases are not serious, in Georgie’s case it was.

As urgent specialist care was needed, the decision was quickly made by the Cowra Hospital doctors to fly her urgently to Westmead Hospital in Sydney where neonatal intensive care facilities were available. Telstra Child Flight was called in and the medical team on board worked for some hours to stabilise the baby for the chopper flight to Sydney.

Arriving at  Westmead Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after an hour’s flight, tiny 10 hour old Georgie was immediately transferred to intensive care and given anti-seizure and blood pressure medication. After 3 days on a ventilator and 12 days of intensive care, she finally arrived back home as a healthy little baby.

Naturally, her  parents, Nicole and Robert, were wonderfully relieved. “ We were comforted by the professionalism and understanding of the medical team and helicopter pilots … they were so brilliant with Georgie” said a very grateful Nicole .  She said that without the Telstra Child Flight service it was unlikely that their little girl would have survived.

“We will support this service in any way we can. We cannot thank you enough”.