| First Birthday with so much more to Celebrate! |
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Media Release
All smiles and full of energy, Rhys celebrated his first birthday this month, joined by the team at St John Ambulance at Casuarina. However, there was plenty more to celebrate as paramedics and members of Rhys’ family remembered the night they almost lost baby Rhys this time last year. On 6th October, only 72 hours after his birth, Rhys was found not breathing in his cot by his cousin Claire who then raised the alarm, essentially saving the life of baby Rhys on that unforgettable evening. Rhys’ grandparents, Marie and Paul were immediately thrown into emergency mode, confirming that Rhys was not breathing and calming down panicked first time mother Melissa. Without delay the family called St John Ambulance where Ambulance Communications Officer, Natalie Higgins assisted in coaching family members through the delivery of Expired Air Resuscitation (EAR) to Rhys over the phone, until the arrival of Ambulance Paramedics. Treating Paramedics Kenton Winsley and Natasha Schumann arrived at the family home, just in time and minutes after the initial emergency call for assistance, continuing EAR on the small baby and miraculously bringing life back to his tiny lungs. Rhys was rushed to Royal Darwin Hospital and later to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment. “It wasn’t until we got to Adelaide that we realised Rhys had such a slim chance of survival” said grandmother Marie. Rhys has since been diagnosed with Medium-Chain Acyl-Coenzyme A Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCAD), a new rare and genetic metabolic disorder, which can cause the onset of hypoglycaemia, particularly in young children. Rhys and all members of his family are eternally grateful to the St John Ambulance team for their compassion and professionalism and would like to thank them once again for saving Rhys’ life. For more information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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