EMAZING Clinical Support Mentor Lorna Bailey from Scunthorpe Ambulance Station is raising money for the Queen’s Medical Centre Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Nottingham after a young patient touched her heart.
Four-year-old Esme Stevens was suffering from septic shock and organ failure when Lorna and her colleagues took her to Hull Royal Infirmary and then on to the Queen’s Medical Centre for life-saving treatment in January this year.
Esme’s Mum Hazel said when they arrived at the QMC Esme’s blood pressure was dangerously low and her vital organs had started to fail.
“The doctors and nurses in the intensive care unit saved Esme’s life and her limbs. I witnessed how hard they all worked and how dedicated they are to their patients, we are very grateful for everything they did,” she said.
Lorna will now join Esme’s family, including Scunthorpe technician and Esme’s aunt, Mel Nicholson, in the Derbyshire Overload Obstacle Course Run – a long-distance race with the added challenge of man-made and natural obstacles - on the 25 August. They will be raising money for the Nottingham University Hospitals Charity and to raise awareness of sepsis.
Lorna said: “After seeing Esme so poorly and also realising she was the relative of a colleague, I wanted to help with fund-raising as much as I could.
“We have raised more than £2,000 between us, so far. It will be a great event for an amazing cause and to raise as much awareness around Sepsis as possible”
If you would like to support Lorna and donate please visit her Just Giving page.
Sepsis is a rare but serious complication of an infection. Without quick treatment, sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure, amputation and death. Symptoms in children under five include:
- Mottled, bluish or pale skin
- Lethargy or difficulty waking
- Abnormally cold to touch
- Rapid breathing
- A rash that does not fade when you press it
- Fits or convulsions