When eight-year-old Indi Cronin gets sick, she gets really sick.
One August evening, Indi became unwell and developed a fever. The next morning, she had multiple seizures.
“Indi had been seizure-free for two years and off medication for about a year, so this came as a bit of a shock,” says her mum, Alana.
Indi has epilepsy and also experiences reflex anoxic seizures. These seizures are triggered by pain, fright or shock, causing the heart and breathing to stop momentarily.
“When she was little, someone just had to say hello or scare her and her heart would stop, and then she would go into an epileptic fit. The first time, she went blue and was unconscious for an hour. It was awful. These days I’ve got used to them. They don’t scare me as much as they used to,” Alana says.
But after two years seizure-free, Alana was worried. She called the health centre in the West Coast town of Karamea, about 15 minutes from the family’s home in Little Wanganui.
“The response was incredible; the nurses came straight to us. From there, it just escalated so quickly and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called.” Alana Cronin.
The nurses needed the critical care and speed that only the rescue helicopter can provide. Indi’s heart rate was high, and they couldn’t get her temperature down. Her blood pressure readings were also concerning.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew, comprising Pilot Tom, Critical Care Paramedic Hernan, and Flight Crew Paramedic Nick, were dispatched. They landed at the Little Wanganui Fire Station, next to the Little Wanganui Hotel, where the family lives. Alana and her husband Edward run the hotel and campground alongside her parents.
“The whole rescue helicopter crew was absolutely incredible. They were so calm and really worked to make Indi comfortable.”
The crew also supported Alana, who says she isn’t the “biggest fan” of flying in helicopters.
“It was pretty amazing being in the new Westpac Rescue Helicopter. The incredible views and support from the crew definitely helped take my mind off the fact that I was terrified.”
Indi was taken to Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth, where she stayed overnight while doctors treated the infection her body was fighting. She has now been referred to specialists for further testing.
While in hospital, the rescue helicopter crew popped in to check on Indi.
“That was really nice, a personal touch that made us feel like Indi wasn’t just another patient.”
While the family is now back home, Alana is still amazed by what happened that day.
“The response from our community nurses and the rescue helicopter was amazing. If we’d been in an ambulance, it would have taken a good two and a half hours to get to hospital. With the rescue helicopter, we were at hospital getting the care Indi desperately needed so quickly.”
Alana describes Little Wanganui as idyllic, the perfect place to raise their three children. But it’s a long way from high-level medical care.
“The Westpac Rescue Helicopter is so important to our community. It’s an incredible service we couldn’t be without.”
