It was a Sunday morning in October. Tracey and Harry Whitwell had just finished milking the cows on the Ashburton dairy farm they worked on. They sat down to breakfast and noticed their one-year-old son Garnett wasn’t quite right.
“He was lethargic, just not acting like himself – but I wasn’t too worried,” Tracey says.
Little did Tracey know that within hours, Garnett’s life would be saved by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
The day before, on his first birthday, Garnett had climbed up a kitchen shelf, got into some peanuts and started choking. Jules had just started work on the farm – it was her first day looking after Garnett. She saw Garnett start to choke and gave him first aid.
“Jules ran down to the milking shed and told us Garnett had choked on a nut, but we weren’t worried. Garnett seemed grand; we told her not to panic,” Tracey says.
That evening Garnett was his usual, energetic self. Nothing seemed amiss.
Until the next day.
Tracey didn’t immediately associate his sleepiness with the event from the day before. She rang PlunketLine to get some advice.
“The nurse asked us lots of questions and that’s when we realised his breathing was a little shallow. She told us to take him to Ashburton Hospital, and make sure someone was sitting in the back of the car with him to monitor his breathing.”
Tracey says Garnett still didn’t seem that unwell, so she wasn’t overly worried. But by the time they reached Ashburton Hospital – a half hour drive away – he was losing colour and was unresponsive.
“He went downhill so fast during that car journey. I just couldn’t believe what was happening.”
When they arrived at Ashburton Hospital, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was immediately called. Tracey could not believe how fast it arrived.
“It felt like the rescue helicopter was immediately there, ready to go – and thank goodness it was. Garnett had gone completely limp.”
The Rescue Helicopter crew gave Garnett oxygen and immediately flew him to Christchurch Hospital, where a specialist team was waiting. Garnett was rushed into the operating theatre where surgeons removed a nut that had become stuck in his bronchi tube, which goes into the lungs. The nut had become infected and that infection was making Garnett very sick.
After major surgery and four days in hospital, Garnett was ready to return home to the farm with mum and dad.
Today, Garnett is a busy six-year-old and big brother to two-year-old Alex.
Despite the time that has passed, Tracey still gets emotional thinking back to that Sunday morning.
“Without the rescue helicopter service Garnett would have died. It’s that simple.
“Garnett is here today, with no lasting effects from that day, because of the skill and speed of the rescue helicopter and the crew.”
Tracey says it blows her mind the incredible care they received.
“From PlunketLine to the team at Ashburton Hospital, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and Christchurch Hospital – they all worked together seamlessly to save Garnett’s life.”
Tracey says she still can’t believe how quickly they got to Christchurch Hospital and just how touch and go it was.
“We will never forget what the rescue helicopter crew did for us. They saved Garnett’s life.”
Tracey is bravely sharing their story this Christmas to support the rescue helicopter. Read more.
