A family outing turned to terror when a heavy log fell on a young girl’s head, crushing part of her skull and facial features.
“I will never forget the sound. At first, we thought our daughter Kiera was already gone – but our faith carried us,” her mother Shaydeen O’Sullivan recalls of that frightening day.
Netcare 911 Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) advanced life support paramedic and base manager Navin Singh, and emergency care practitioner Sibusisiwe Sibeko, were on duty when the call came through for urgent assistance, and Netcare 911 HEMS was activated.
| Pic: Kiera loves farm life and dreams of being a “cowgirl” when she grows up. According to her mother, apart from a scar and her haircut, no one would guess the ordeal Kiera went through so recently. |
| Pic: The log falling on Kiera’s head caused skull fractures and bruising to her brain. Neurosurgeon Dr Sandile Ngwenya explains that after surgery, she was kept in neuroprotection, a medically induced coma, in the intensive care unit (ICU) to allow her brain time to rest and heal from the injury. |
| Pic: Kiera’s parents’ prayers were answered when she showed rapid progress and was discharged home after only 12 days in Netcare St Anne’s Hospital. |
“When we arrived on the scene of the accident in Ballito, the seriousness of her injuries was clear. We assisted the paramedics from the first ambulance in stabilising Kiera sufficiently for transfer to Netcare St Anne’s Hospital, and explained to the parents exactly what we needed to do to help her, and tried to reassure them as best we could in the circumstances,” Sibeko recalls.
“Time was absolutely critical, and by road, the journey to the most appropriate hospital for her injuries would have taken about an hour and forty-five minutes. With the HEMS air transfer, we could fly Kiera there in just 25 minutes. Details of her condition, the medication administered, and emergency procedures performed were relayed to the receiving trauma team digitally via our electronic medical records system,” Singh explains.
Trauma surgeon Dr Howard Wain, emergency medical physician Dr Steve Feris, and the experienced team at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital’s level 1 accredited trauma centre were ready and waiting for an efficient, streamlined transfer as Kiera arrived by helicopter.
“I received advanced notification of the child being rushed to the hospital by helicopter, having sustained a head injury,” Dr Wain recalls.
“Anecdotally speaking, Kiera’s journey turned out to be a remarkable story of hope – not only for the good outcome she achieved so quickly considering the extent of her injuries but also for the faith, calm and peace her parents showed at their daughter’s bedside.”
Netcare St Anne’s Hospital is one of only four private Level 1 trauma centres accredited by the Trauma Society of South Africa (TSSA). Its emergency department is equipped to treat even the most critical and complex injuries, including those in paediatric patients, from across KwaZulu-Natal.
A CT scan revealed that Kiera had suffered multiple facial fractures, in addition to bruising, bleeding, and swelling of her brain. Residents of the hospital’s multidisciplinary trauma team, neurosurgeon Dr Sandile Ngwenya and maxillofacial surgeon Dr Ciaran Lalor, undertook the intricate procedure to repair the fractured orbital and frontal bones of her skull and reconstruct Kiera’s face.
| Pic: Six-year-old Kiera O’Sullivan is pictured on a family outing just 15 minutes before the serious accident occurred at the end of October. |
| Pic: Emergency care practitioner Sibusisiwe Sibeko attended to Kiera when Netcare 911 Helicopter Emergency Services airlifted the little girl to the level 1 trauma centre at Netcare |
“The contusions, or bruising on Kiera’s brain were quite severe and after the surgery she was moved to the intensive care unit, where we kept her in neuroprotection. This is a medically induced coma that provides time for the brain to rest, allowing the swelling to dissipate and the injured nerves to heal before we wake the patient,” Dr Ngwenya explains.
“Kiera’s reconstruction went beautifully; she did well clinically and fortunately, she made excellent progress rapidly. When she came in for her follow-up, we could see just how well she was doing.”
Kiera spent only 12 days at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital before returning home to Greytown, and her parents are amazed at how their daughter has bounced back in the short time since her accident.
“Our prayers were answered, and by the grace of God, Kiera has been restored to us, and she’s doing amazingly well. Except for her short hair and a scar, there’s virtually no sign of what she’s been through. She is riding her bicycle again and running around the farm. She loves animals, and she tells us she wants to be a cowgirl one day,” Shaydeen says.
“As a family, we want to give glory to God for the miraculous recovery of our child. Our sincere gratitude to Dr Ngwenya, Dr Wain, Dr Lalor, paediatricians Dr Zamaswazi Ntombela and Dr Mthokozisi Cele, and the entire team at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital for their expertise and care, and to everyone who prayed for Kiera,” the relieved parents say.
“At the time of Kiera’s accident, we could hardly dare hope that we would be together as a family for Christmas, and now we are planning to stay home on the farm and give thanks.”
Ends.
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