Precious Cargo

Days after a truck driver ran a red light and caused a crash that killed his uncle and cousin, 4-year-old Zachariah Tanielu-Fuata’i was still fighting for his life.

Left with critical brain injuries from the crash and in need of treatment he couldn’t get in Christchurch, Zachariah was one of 194 children flown from all over the country to receive specialist treatment at Auckland’s Starship Children’s Hospital in 2019.

But with the charity-funded Starship National Air Ambulance Service’s running costs totalling about $1.5 million a year, the vital service relies on the generosity of Kiwis to keep it going, so the country's sickest children get a second chance at life.

Zachariah Tanielu-Fuata’i was transferred by Air Ambulance to Starship in 2019 following a car crash. PHOTO: ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF

Zachariah Tanielu-Fuata’i was transferred by Air Ambulance to Starship in 2019 following a car crash. PHOTO: ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF

The crash on April 5, 2019 left Zachariah with critical brain injuries. He was rushed to Christchurch Hospital and taken into surgery to stabilise him. Two days later, he was flown to Starship for further treatment.

A few days into Zachariah’s treatment there, while mum Gafatasi Fuata’i was in Christchurch caring for her other children, her husband called her to tell her there was a possibility their son was brain dead.

Fuata’i says she refused to accept that.

Zachariah Tanielu-Fuata’i was left with critical brain injuries following a crash in Christchurch on April 5, 2019. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Zachariah Tanielu-Fuata’i was left with critical brain injuries following a crash in Christchurch on April 5, 2019. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Her faith and the speed in which her son got to Starship after the accident “most definitely” helped him recover.

“Just knowing that the plane was like a mini hospital in the air, that was just amazing.” Quote from Zachariah’s mum, Gafatasi Fuata’i

Zachariah Tanielu-Fuata’i made a recovery no doctors expected. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Zachariah Tanielu-Fuata’i made a recovery no doctors expected. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Fuata’i says the staff and support they received from Starship was second to none.

Zachariah wasn’t well enough to leave Auckland until August 2019, but has since made a recovery no-one expected.

“It was a bit of a process but he’s alive now,” Fuata’i says. “He’s walking, he’s eating, he’s talking. He’s doing a lot of things that he wasn’t even meant to do.”

Zachariah’s mum never gave up hope that he would recover from his injuries. PHOTO: ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF

Zachariah’s mum never gave up hope that he would recover from his injuries. PHOTO: ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF

The primary Air Ambulance plane is distinctly decorated for children. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The primary Air Ambulance plane is distinctly decorated for children. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The Starship National Air Ambulance Service was started not long after the hospital opened in the mid 1990s, clinical director of Starship’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and surgical services Dr John Beca says.

The service is also known to fly to the South Pacific if kids further afield need specialised care.

As well as the primary plane that is used for the majority of missions, Beca says another jet is available through Skyline Aviation for longer trips, and helicopters like the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter are also used.

Many months of Harry Ward’s life (left) have been spent at Starship trying to find a diagnosis. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Many months of Harry Ward’s life (left) have been spent at Starship trying to find a diagnosis. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Harry Ward was taken to Starship by helicopter at just 5 days old. Shortly after he was born at Tauranga Hospital, he stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated.

It would be the first of many episodes for the now-toddler which would draw doctors to suspect he had congenital myasthenia.

Harry’s mum, Natasha Ward, says his condition affects his diaphragm. When an episode occurs, Harry’s diaphragm stops working and he can’t breathe. He goes into respiratory arrest and needs to be resuscitated.

The first time it happened was 40 minutes after he was born on August 26, 2018. Ward says the staff at Tauranga Hospital thought it may have been caused by a quick water birth and his lungs taking some time to expand.

But another “collapse” the next morning made them realise something was really wrong.

At 5 days old, Harry was flown to Starship. He stayed in intensive care for a week, where tests were done, but all came back normal so an ambulance was organised to take the family back to Tauranga Hospital.

“We got about three metres outside the [PICU] doors and he turned blue again and they had to resuscitate him, so they actually flew us back in a helicopter as well.”

Harry Ward's condition means he stops breathing and has to be resuscitated. His first trip to Starship was at just 5 days old. VIDEO: SUPPLIED/STUFF
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Harry then spent six more weeks in Tauranga Hospital’s Specialist Baby Care Unit for more testing, but again, results all came back normal.

Before discharge, the team decided to teach Ward and her husband how to perform resuscitation - not thinking they would ever need to actually do it.

“I think we had been home 48 hours and he stopped breathing and we had to resuscitate him at home for the first time.” Quote from Harry’s mum, Natasha Ward

Trying to find a diagnosis for Harry has been a process of elimination. A further three months were spent in Starship in early 2019 trying to figure out what was causing the episodes.

A tube was put in Harry’s trachea in early 2019 to create an airway. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

A tube was put in Harry’s trachea in early 2019 to create an airway. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

In March, Harry had a tracheostomy - meaning a tube was put into his trachea to create an airway. But in November, Harry pulled the tube out. Tauranga Hospital was unable to put the tube back in and it was decided he would need to be flown to Starship for it to be done under anaesthetic. 

Ward says the Air Ambulance picked them up and took him into the operating room that same night.

She feels “incredibly lucky” the service exists.

“You get a three second warning and you’ve got to be fully ready to resuscitate him. You can’t do that on the Hauraki Plains.”

Ward says the PICU staff who flew down were “amazing” and took over Harry’s care straight away.

PICU nurse Zoe Matsas says Harry’s flight sticks out to her as unique because although he needed to be taken to Starship quickly, he wasn’t sick enough to need sedation.

Matsas says the team needed to think outside the box to keep him calm, and realised the best way of transporting him was to do so on his mum’s knee.

The Starship National Air Ambulance service costs about $1.5 million every year. VIDEO: SUPPLIED

The Starship team takes a portable intensive care unit on board. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The Starship team takes a portable intensive care unit on board. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Beca says the best way to describe the service is that “we take the intensive care unit to the child”.

As well as at least one doctor and one nurse, a mobile intensive care unit with every possible machine that could be needed is loaded up on the plane.

This includes breathing machines and pumps for administering various drugs.

With Xavier being her third son, Jessica Anthony never imagined he would have any problems. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

With Xavier being her third son, Jessica Anthony never imagined he would have any problems. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Baby Xavier’s heart problems were picked up when his mum was 17 weeks pregnant. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Baby Xavier’s heart problems were picked up when his mum was 17 weeks pregnant. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

If there hadn’t been a way to get her son to Starship, Jessica Anthony says he probably wouldn’t be alive.

When Anthony was 17 weeks pregnant, a scan had picked up potential heart problems. Further scans and conversations with Starship worsened Xavier’s diagnosis - he had a range of heart problems, including two large holes.

Anthony was told Xavier would need open heart surgery shortly after birth and there was a possibility that surgeons may not be able to do anything to help him.

Baby Xavier was born via planned C-section at Auckland City Hospital on April 27, 2017.

At 5 days old, Xavier had the first of at least three open heart surgeries. He stayed in Starship for nine weeks due to an irregular heartbeat and problems with feeding, Anthony says. The team didn’t want to send him back to Christchurch as those issues usually mean the heart isn’t working well.

Xavier Anthony had his first open heart surgery at just 5 days old. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Xavier Anthony had his first open heart surgery at just 5 days old. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

His feeding and growth improved by the time he was 9 weeks old so the Air Ambulance was organised to fly the pair back home, with Xavier in an incubator.

“Because he has a heart condition he is really high-risk to getting any infections so going on a commercial flight was not an option,” Anthony says.

The pair stayed in Christchurch Hospital for three days before heading home to be with family. But eight days later, Xavier was rushed back to hospital after catching a cold from his brothers that quickly turned into bronchiolitis.

Anthony says he was admitted to the high dependency unit and nearly died after his oxygen levels dropped dramatically and he had a respiratory arrest.

“I’m a nurse at the hospital so being on the other side of that was horrendous,” Anthony says.

“I had no control over what was happening. I can’t remember much of the day to be honest because it was so traumatic.”

Because of Xavier’s heart problems, Starship’s National Air Ambulance team was again requested to transfer him back to Auckland for treatment.

Xavier Anthony's mum believes that if it wasn't for the Starship National Air Ambulance, her son wouldn't be alive. VIDEO: SUPPLIED/STUFF

With no cardiologist at Christchurch Hospital that specialises in children with heart conditions, Anthony says it was “disconcerting” and the doctors were very worried about him.

“I truly believe that if he had stayed in Christchurch he probably would have died.” Quote from Xavier's mum, Jessica Anthony.

Anthony’s husband James flew up to Auckland with Xavier while she took a commercial flight to meet them. By then, she didn’t feel scared she was going to lose him because “he was being taken back to a facility that has specialist care”.

They stayed in Auckland until Xavier was 4 months old, when he had his second open heart surgery.

A week later, he was well enough to fly commercially back to Christchurch.

Now, Anthony says Xavier is doing “really well” and his main symptoms are being short of breath when exercising, and getting blue lips. His oxygen levels still sit lower than normal and are currently about 80 per cent.

There is still a possibility that Xavier may need a heart transplant in the future. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

There is still a possibility that Xavier may need a heart transplant in the future. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

An appointment with a cardiologist is booked for September to plan Xavier’s third surgery for this coming summer. He may need a heart transplant in future.

Anthony says the surgery will involve a stent being put in and a stay of four to six weeks in Starship. How Xavier will get back to Christchurch depends on his health following that surgery.

“There’s always a risk or reason that he may need that plane again.”

Mackenzie Gregory stayed in Starship for two weeks after falling ill. PHOTO: BRADEN FASTIER/STUFF

Mackenzie Gregory stayed in Starship for two weeks after falling ill. PHOTO: BRADEN FASTIER/STUFF

Of the 194 missions in 2019, the Air Ambulance flew down to Nelson four times. One of those flights retrieved 11-month-old Mackenzie Gregory.

Mum Jane Gregory says Mackenzie had a high temperature overnight so she booked her in to see their general practitioner, where she deteriorated rapidly.

The GP suggested they head straight to Nelson Hospital, where she deteriorated further and was rushed to the emergency department.

Gregory says Mackenzie was becoming unresponsive and the medical staff struggled to get any blood or lines into her, having to go through a bone in her leg.

Once stabilised, Mackenzie was transferred to the intensive care unit and intubated.

Mackenzie was diagnosed with Influenza A and bronchiolitis. It was later discovered she also had a virus and possibly a collapsed lung, Gregory says.

Nelson Hospital staff told Gregory that her daughter was stable but critical. Neither the Nelson team, nor those at Starship who had been helping over the phone, were comfortable having her there overnight as there was no doctor in the unit.

Mackenzie Gregory needed specialised care at Starship after deteriorating quickly from the flu.

Mackenzie Gregory needed specialised care at Starship after deteriorating quickly from the flu.

It was about a week before Jane Gregory was able to hold Mackenzie again. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

It was about a week before Jane Gregory was able to hold Mackenzie again. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

The Air Ambulance came to transfer them to Starship, arriving in Auckland about midnight.

“There was a lot of waiting and worrying in that time, when we were waiting for the flight staff to arrive,” Gregory says.

“We just surrendered to the process and felt completely supported and that Mackenzie was in the best care possible.” Quote from Mackenzie’s mum, Jane Gregory.

Mackenzie was on an oxygen machine for the duration of the flight and had both a doctor and nurse at her side, Gregory says.

She was taken to the intensive care unit where she stayed for just over a week before staying on a ward for another week.

She was given antibiotics and was on oxygen for the first few days before being slowly woken up and well enough to go home.

Mackenzie Gregory will be 2 in July and is doing really well, her mum says.

Mackenzie Gregory will be 2 in July and is doing really well, her mum says.

Jane Gregory says Mackenzie is learning new words every day. PHOTOS: BRADEN FASTIER/STUFF

Jane Gregory says Mackenzie is learning new words every day. PHOTOS: BRADEN FASTIER/STUFF

It costs about $1.5 million every year to run the National Air Ambulance service - and a large chunk of that is contributed by the Starship Foundation, Beca says.

“I’m really proud of the fact that we provide a world-class, cutting edge service 24/7,” he said.

“We wouldn’t be able to do that without having really amazing staff but we also wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of the Starship Foundation.”

He says it is always getting busier and it is quite possible a second “primary” plane will be needed in future.

This article is part of Stuff's partnership supporting the Starship National Air Ambulance appeal - a lifeline for our children when they need it most. Find out more and donate at keepstarshipflying.org.nz.


Words Danielle Clent
Images Alden Williams and Braden Fastier
Design Kathryn George
Editor Janine Fenwick