Emma's Story

“I honestly thought she was going to die…”

What began as a routine tummy bug quickly became every parent’s nightmare for Ellie and her family.

Ellie had been vomiting overnight, but by morning appeared much better. Relieved, Emma her mum settled her on the couch; both exhausted from being awake all night.

Moments later, everything changed.  

“I saw her leg shaking,” Emma recalls. “When I got to her, she was having a seizure. Her eyes had rolled back; there was foam coming from her mouth and her jaw was locked. It was horrific.”

Emma called 111.

Although the first seizure stopped, Ellie never regained consciousness before a second seizure began. The situation had become a medical emergency.

But the remote location of Big Bay meant that specialist care was too far away by road. The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter was dispatched and landed on the family’s front lawn.

“The crew were unbelievable. They took control straight away. I was hysterical, I honestly thought she was going to die. But they were calm, reassuring, and completely focused on saving her.”

Ellie was flown to Middlemore Hospital, where she received urgent specialist treatment.

The weeks that followed were challenging. Her recovery was slow, and her family lived with the fear that more seizures could occur. But with specialist support and ongoing care, Ellie gradually returned to her happy, energetic self.

Today, she is thriving.

Her family remains deeply grateful for the rescue helicopter that reached them when time was critical.

“Because of them, Ellie is here today,” Emma says.

For children facing medical emergencies, rescue helicopters provide more than transport. They provide access to lifesaving care and the chance for a future that might otherwise be lost.

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