Children’s Air Ambulance ensures safe homecoming for premature baby after holiday birth

A Chesterfield A&E nurse has praised the Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA) – a national charity – for the vital role it played in safely bringing her newborn son home after a being born prematurely on holiday.

The August Bank Holiday weekend was meant to be a relaxing getaway for Kaye Stevenson, her husband, their three children, and the family dog. The family travelled to a static caravan in Heacham, Norfolk, for a short holiday before the arrival of their new baby.

“In hindsight, I’m not sure why I went, as my other son was born prematurely. But I felt fine and thought everything would be okay,” Kaye recalls.

However, on the morning of the 25 August 2023, the unexpected happened. Just as the family was preparing to return home, Kaye woke up at 3am with labour pains. With three children and their dog asleep in the caravan, and only one car between them, the situation quickly became frantic.

“I kept thinking it couldn’t possibly be labour pains,” Kaye shares. By 7am, the reality set in, and Kaye urgently called a taxi to take her to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn. Meanwhile, her husband contacted Kaye’s mother and stepfather, who began the long, two-and-a-half-hour journey to Norfolk through holiday traffic to care for the other children.

At just 34 weeks and six days, Kaye knew her baby would be premature. After being in labour throughout the day, baby Joshua was born at 7pm via emergency caesarean section, weighing 5 lbs.

Joshua needed immediate support for breathing and was jaundiced, requiring an incubator. On that first night, there were discussions about also intubating him, but doctors opted for the C-PAP alternative- used to help your baby’s breathing by having air flow through two fine tubes placed in the nostrils or via a face mask – which he thankfully responded well to.

The neonatal team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital was exceptional, but being alone in those early days was distressing for Kaye. “They were brilliant with him, but it’s so hard when you’re on your own,” she says.

By Monday, Kaye desperately needed to be closer to home to be with her other children and have the support of her family network. Arrangements were made to transfer Joshua to Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

“I just wanted to be somewhere familiar, near home, so I could be with our other children and regain some stability,” Kaye explains.

That’s when the Children’s Air Ambulance stepped in.

On 28 August, TCAA flew from its base to Barnsley to pick up Embrace, the Yorkshire & Humber Infant and Children’s Transport Service, part of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Along with TCAA’s crew member, the team reached Queen Elizabeth Hospital and prepared Joshua for the 102-mile journey to Chesterfield.

Due to post-surgery pain, Kaye couldn’t fly with her son, which made the situation even more challenging. “My husband couldn’t fly either as he needed to drive me home, so leaving Joshua to fly alone was heartbreaking,” Kaye admits.

Despite the emotional toll, Kaye’s background as an A&E nurse at Chesterfield Royal Hospital helped her stay calm, understanding the necessity of Joshua’s transfer.

The flight took just 42 minutes – significantly faster than the 2-hour-and-20-minute journey by road, especially considering the heavy bank holiday traffic. Kaye and her husband set off by car before Joshua’s flight so they could be there when he landed.

“I felt numb from the shock, but I was relieved he didn’t make the long, bumpy journey by road,” she says. “Seeing him arrive safely was a huge relief. The crew were lovely and reassured us, telling us how well Joshua had done – he even slept through the entire flight.”

The TCAA team also gifted Joshua and his brother with a teddy bear and an information pack.

Joshua stayed in the hospital until he was strong enough to feed from a bottle, after which he was finally able to go home. Today, Joshua is healthy, happy, and thriving.

“We will forever be grateful for the professionalism, kindness, and skill of the teams. The Children’s Air Ambulance played an invaluable role in his recovery. As an A&E nurse, I know how vital these services are. The Children’s Air Ambulance is an amazing charity – you never know when you might need them, and we are so grateful they were there for us,” Kaye says.