Ashford baby flown by Children’s Air Ambulance celebrates 1st Birthday

A baby who was flown home to Ashford, Kent by the Children’s Air Ambulance – after being born by emergency C-section while her parents were on holiday 174 miles away – celebrates her first birthday on 26 August.

Autumn-Rose is now, according to her mum Kerri, “very alert, likes to see what’s going on around her, loves Peppa Pig and is a real daddy’s girl.”

She also adores bath time, is always smiling and “her little face always lights up when nanny comes on the screen when Facetiming.”

Autumn-Rose will be the centre of attention on her birthday when close family and friends are planning to get together for a socially distanced afternoon tea to celebrate.

Her unexpected arrival into the world came while Kerri and her partner Shane were on holiday in Beccles, Suffolk.

They were concerned because Kerri hadn’t felt their baby move for a while so they phoned NHS 111 and were advised to go to the nearest hospital in Great Yarmouth to be checked out.

Kerri was attached to a monitor which revealed a problem with her baby’s heartbeat so it was decided to perform an emergency C-section.

After two days in the Special Care Baby Unit arrangements were made to transfer Autumn-Rose back to the hospital in her home town.

It took the Children’s Air Ambulance – working with a specialist neo-natal team from Embrace – Yorkshire & Humber Infant & Children’s Transport Service (part of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust) –  just 48 minutes to transfer Autumn-Rose to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, compared with the four and a half hours by road it took Kerri and Shane to get home.

“It’s amazing how quickly Autumn-Rose got there. My mum was waiting at the hospital for her and phoned to tell us she had arrived safely. When we got the call we were still in Great Yarmouth and I hadn’t even been discharged,” explains Kerri.

By the time Kerri and Shane arrived in Ashford, Autumn-Rose was settled in the intensive care unit where she spent a week before being moved to the neonatal unit.

For another three weeks, her parents spent 14 hours a day at the hospital with her and were delighted when she was finally discharged 26 days after she was born weighing 4.8lbs.

Kerri says:

“We will never forget the part the Children’s Air Ambulance played in getting the Embrace team to Great Yarmouth and then transferring them back with our daughter to the local hospital. We knew she was in the safest hands possible.

“I am hoping our story will encourage people to support this charity which keeps hope alive for families with critically ill children and babies. Autumn-Rose is living proof of the amazing work they do every day of the year. They receive no government funding for their daily missions and rely on fundraising and donations to remain operational.”

The Children’s Air Ambulance relies on public support to keep families together and help little patients like Autumn-Rose so that they are able to celebrate their birthdays. To help more babies and children, click here.