Community / Young mum pays tribute to ‘amazing’ ambulance staff who helped baby following Christmas Eve birth
A WOMAN from Shetland has paid tribute to the “amazing” Scottish Ambulance Service for saving her newborn baby’s life after she gave birth on Christmas Eve.
As well as flying baby Evie-Mae to the neonatal unit in hospital in Aberdeen, air ambulance crew also volunteered to take mum Rachel Moynes south the following day – Christmas Day – so she could be with her child.
Twenty three year old welder Rachel gave birth to her second child Evie-Mae at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick at 3.27pm the day before Christmas, but a lack of oxygen caused problems for the baby.
An ambulance team was quickly dispatched, which featured Jane Mott and Kaylee Garrick, and Evie-Mae – who was 7lb12oz – was ventilated.
Rachel said treatment began with the “amazing team” in Lerwick as they waited on the air ambulance to arrive to take Evie-Mae south.
The air ambulance team from Aberdeen included consultant Vijender Kistareddy, neonatal transport nurse Shereena Steel and air ambulance paramedic Peter Craigmile.
“They wouldn’t move her until she was stable,” Rachel said.
“The team that came up to get her was super supportive, talking to us constantly about her condition and what would happen – the Shetland team were very supportive as well.”
Evie-Mae was then transferred to the air ambulance with Rachel’s fiancée Michael.
Rachel, however, wasn’t allowed to travel as she had just given birth, and Michael and Evie-Mae were transferred to the neonatal unit in Aberdeen at around midnight.
“I was then told that I may not be able to get a flight to see her until Boxing Day which, as you can imagine, was terrifying as she was extremely poorly,” she said.
“But then the midwives in Shetland told me that a team had volunteered to come back up for me on Christmas Day so I could be reunited with my baby girl sooner, which I’m incredibly grateful for.”
Evie-Mae, with mum and dad, then spent just under three weeks in high dependence care in Aberdeen until the couple were allowed to take her home to meet her brother, Caleb.
Rachel said: “So far she’s meeting every milestone and growing just like any other baby – it’s still early days but if it hadn’t of been for the teams in Shetland, the team that transferred her to Aberdeen and the team that looked after her in Aberdeen, she wouldn’t be here; we could never repay them all for the amazing work they done.
“Without these amazing services and staff, my little girl Evie-Mae would not be here today.
“You made us feel so safe in such a difficult time. To everyone who helped we have no way of ever thanking you all and we will forever be in your debt and we wish we could thank you in person.”
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