Ryan's Story
Like most people we never thought it would happen to us…….. But, it did.
We have recently made one of the biggest changes in our life – uplifting the family and moving from Western Australia to Tasmania.
When packing up I came across a Polaroid photograph of a little boy covered in tubes. This was my son Ryan eleven years ago. I decided then and there that I would fulfil the promise that I had made many years earlier. I would take Ryan to say thank you to the people that had helped save his life – the Flying Doctor.
So what happened eleven years earlier. Our family consisting of my husband and me and sons Shaun and Ryan, were taking an extended holiday.
We had reached Monkey Mia and had set up camp. Ryan was a little off-colour. I had convinced myself probably a bug or one of the other factors encountered when travelling such a distance with a youngster. My husband suggested that we take him to the Nursing Post, although I didn't think that it was necessary – they would probably think I was over reacting.
Before too long I knew that this was more than a common bug. Ryan had turned blue and was finding it difficult to breathe.
The nurse took one look at him and was on the phone in a flash. Before I knew it, the Flying Doctor had been called to evacuate Ryan and me to Carnarvon, then on to Perth.
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The Flying Doctor arrived and with Ryan loaded, we were on our way. He was such a sick little boy by this time. Throughout the flight both the Nurse and Doctor took everything in their stride, comforting and explaining to me everything that was happening at the same time.
After spending five days in hospital Ryan recovered and today is a happy, healthy, boisterous fourteen year old.
Ryan's diagnosis was Epiglotitis, which meant quite simply his epiglotis had become infected and had blocked his windpipe making it nearly impossible for him to breathe.
So after eleven years I made a telephone call to find out if Ryan would be able to contact the Doctor that saved his life.
After organising a time suitable we made the trip to Jandakot, reminiscing about the ordeal on the way. Staff had done their research and much to our amazement we were met by Dr Stephen Langford, the doctor that had helped us so much. Stephen is now Medical Director of RFDS Western Operations and was able to fill Ryan in on the medical details of the transfer. He had remembered the flight as though it had happened only yesterday. It was a sepcial re-union that I will never forget, and allowed me to fulfill that promise I had made years earlier – not only was I able to say thank you, but Ryan was able to say thank you also.