Jayde Eddy (right) would like to find the people who helped her while her two-year-old daughter, Mia had a febrile seizure on Saturday afternoon. Photo / Supplied
Jayde Eddy (right) would like to find the people who helped her while her two-year-old daughter, Mia had a febrile seizure on Saturday afternoon. Photo / Supplied
A blood-curdling cry cut straight to mother of two, Jayde Eddy's core.
Her 2-year-old daughter, Mia, was convulsing in the back seat of her car as she drove.
But Jayde was stuck. It was 1.30pm on Saturday afternoon, along busy Breakwater Rd in Napier, near the port.
There was nohouses she could go into to call for help and a steep cliff on the side of the road.
Her partner, Matt Demanser, was driving back from Palmerston North and still a while away.
"I had to wave down for help as I couldn't leave her side. I wanted to get my phone out of the car to call for help and I wanted to make sure Lillie, my 5-year-old, was okay in the car with all of this happening but I couldn't. I needed three of me," Eddy said.
It wasn't the first time her daughter had had a febrile convulsion - a seizure associated with a high body temperature and without any serious underlying health issues.
Two-year-old Mia Demanser was found to have the flu. Photo / Supplied
But this one, about a year since the other four, came out of the blue.
The last ones were caused by constant ear infections, which stopped after she had grommets put in.
"This one was particularly scary because it lasted a good 10 minutes which is quite unusual for a febrile [seizure].
"I knew something wasn't quite right, because it was lasting longer than the other ones we had had, so I was very thankful there were other people there to talk to me."
While Mia was taken to hospital via ambulance where she was later found to have influenza, it is the people that helped them along the way, who Eddy is eternally grateful for.
She remembers only small details about the five people, though there were a few more on the peripheral. But she hopes one day she will be able to thank them in person.
"I don't remember their faces because I didn't really tear my eyes away from Mia for long periods of time because I couldn't.
"But I do remember the lady that took her pulse and was looking at her breathing because she had a headscarf in her hair and had dark hair."
The ex-nurse was instrumental in reassuring Eddy that Mia was getting oxygen.
The first couple who pulled over were Mark and Jenny, along with their roughly 13-year-old daughter.
Mark stayed by Eddy's side the whole time, while his wife took Lillie back to her car so she didn't have to see it all.
Jayde Eddy with her children; five-year-old Lillie Demanser (left) and two-year-old Mia Demanser. Photo / Supplied
Another older couple called the ambulance.
"There were more people but just on the peripheral, so they didn't come close, they were just there asking if they could do anything."
Once the ambulance arrived and had completed the initial tests, her partner, Matt, who had been at the back of Hastings, was able to get to his family in time.
"She was very very distressed and confused, so we had to wait for her to calm down."
But that gave Matt just that "extra few minutes" to arrive from the back of Hastings.
They were put into isolation that night at Hawke's Bay Hospital, and just before being discharged on Sunday evening, Mia's temperature spiked again and she had another seizure.
However, Eddy says it was "much better than the side of the road".
She posted about the incident on Facebook, in the hopes she could track these people down, but so far she hasn't "quite managed to reach them".
"Honestly I wouldn't have been able to do that without them there. I probably would have had a meltdown. I definitely needed them."
What is a febrile convulsion?
Clinical medical officer of primary medical care and Taradale GP, Dr Mark Peterson said these seizures are "relatively benign".
He said the issue with them is the fact they are "really scary for people watching" and also the underlying "what's caused the fever?"
"Again, most of those are benign respiratory illnesses and things like that but some of them are more serious pneumonia and meningitis, things like that."
He said some kids are more prone to febrile seizures, and boys more than girls.
"Clearly if a kid has a first febrile convulsion, they really do need to be seen by a doctor reasonably soon after that."
Dr Peterson said it was important to treat it like a standard convulsion - try to put them on their side in case they throw up, and make sure they can't injure themselves.
"They are really scary for adults, but the reassurance is that the vast majority of them are of no long-term consequence."
