The parents of a Northland baby who suffered convulsions and flatlined while suffering from whooping cough are warning other parents to be aware of the potentially fatal disease.
Zara Taylor-Gillespie said her three-month-old daughter, Eden, was still fighting a severe form of pertussis at Starship Hospital but was making progress, including having her breathing tube removed.
She wants other parents to be aware that the disease is present in the community, and can start like a regular cold but cause lifelong problems.
“I urge parents that, if your children have the symptoms, please push doctors to test for it.”
Before Eden got sick, life was perfect, said Taylor-Gillespie, who is a stay-at-home mother to Eden and Elijah, 2.
She and husband Kieran live in Kaipara on a street with other family members. He recently started a lawn-mowing business.
Eden was a happy baby with a big personality, she said. She was healthy apart from a cold at six weeks, which prevented her from having her scheduled vaccinations.
On November 5, when Eden was two months old, she developed what seemed like a cold but worsened to severe coughing and difficulty breathing.
The Taylor-Gillespies took Eden to the doctor the next morning, who incorrectly diagnosed croup.
After the doctor visit, it seemed as if Eden was getting better, but she started declining on Monday, November 10.
“Eden progressively got sicker till she started to not breathe during her coughing episodes and her lips turned blue. Kieran and I were having to stimulate her to breathe.”
Eden was admitted to Whangārei Hospital with malignant pertussis, a particularly severe form of whooping cough in infants.
She developed a condition known as “sticky blood”, caused by her white blood cells rising to fight off the infection, Taylor-Gillespie said.
“Eden’s blood cell count reached a high of 60,000 - a normal range is generally between 4500 and 11,000.”
The condition can cause blood clots, and Eden needed two transfusions to lower her count.
By November 15, Eden seemed to be doing okay and was successfully feeding using a nasogastric tube.
But she suddenly started vomiting while coughing and, during one serious coughing episode, her oxygen and heart rate dropped, with nurses having to rush in and stabilise her.
A doctor checked her over and thought she was okay, despite one of her eyes being locked in place, in what the parents later learnt was a seizure.
“About 10 minutes after the doctor left, she had a small coughing fit, so Kieran sat her up ... Suddenly, all her stats dropped, so Kieran slammed the emergency button again.”
The clinicians rushed in, but Eden started convulsing from a full-body seizure and flatlining.
Taylor-Gillespie said she and her husband ended up in tears on the floor outside Eden’s room, terrified for their “sweet girl”.
“We lost it because all we could hear was everyone yelling and the flatline.
“The day Eden flatlined was the most terrifying day of our life.”
The clinicians performed CPR for seven minutes before bringing Eden back. She was taken to intensive care, then flown to Starship’s paediatric intensive care unit.
Taylor-Gillespie said Eden had many ups and downs at Starship, where the couple were told to give her a kiss one night because doctors feared she wouldn’t live.
Eden battled high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension) and other organ problems, but has made progress in the past few days, including having her breathing tube removed on Tuesday.
“Our little miracle has fought so hard every single day.”
The Taylor-Gillespies are now awaiting the results of an MRI, to see if Eden suffered any brain damage from her lack of oxygen.
Zara said a Givealittle page set up by her cousin, Sharnie Patterson, had been a blessing while she stayed at Starship and her husband travelled between home and the hospital.
“Being down here seems like time stops, but bills and life still move. Everyone’s love, support and donations mean that Kieran is able to come down and support us, while Eden is on this journey.”
This year, Northland has recorded 167 cases of whooping cough, including nine babies aged under 5 months who had to be hospitalised.
Nationwide, 2396 cases were recorded, according to the NZ Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science.
Health NZ declared a national whooping cough (pertussis) epidemic in November last year.
At the time, health officials said immunisation was the best way to protect babies from dying, with whooping cough vaccines free for pregnancies past 16 weeks, babies aged six weeks, three months and five months, children aged 4 and 11, and adults aged 45 and 65.
Taylor-Gillespie said Eden could not be vaccinated at six weeks because she was unwell. She was now discussing vaccinations with Eden’s medical team.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.