Why Cameron is No Ordinary Kid - Part 3

Cameron

The hosptial staff and RFDS staff exchanged information and transferred Cameron from the ambulance into the plane. I boarded the plane leaving Michael standing there. As we took off I watched him drive off back towards town.

I didn't understand most of the medical terminology being discussed as we flew down to Kalgoorlie but it was very clear that Cameron was in a really bad way. Every now and then I was asked questions about Cameron's health and development, up until he got sick, and I was questioned at length about what had happened over the last 24 hours.Eventually I was told I should prepare myself because Cameron would probably need to be transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth.

We landed in Kalgoorlie and sat on the tarmac. We sat and we sat and the longer we sat the more scared I became. Finally we were told that there was a delay with the ambulance and it was safer to stay in the plane where Cameron could remain connected to the machines he now needed. Apparently the ambulances last call out had been to a stabbing and the victim had bled alot. The ambulance had to be washed out at the depot before coming out to the airport to collect us.

Finally the ambulance arrived and the transfer process happened. I climbed in and we drove to the hospital straight to emergency. This hospital was so different, this was a big regional country hospital with people everywhere. We transferred into a bed and then the RFDS staff went off to hand over to the emergency staff.

As I stood there next to Cameron I felt so alone and scared, I had no idea what was going on. I was watching Cameron and it occured to me that he was very still. I poked him and he took a deep breath. I stood there and kept watching. A little while longer he did it again and again I poked him and he took a deep breath. Nobody was with me, I was all on my own and I didn't tell anybody. People came and went, questions were asked and tests were run, medical history taken over and over again. It is one big blur.

Michael arrived after dropping the dog off at my sisters and our little family was reunited. We stood there next to our little boy as he lay on a big bed.and we didn't know what to do. Eventually we were told that the doctors believed Cameron had Meningitis and that we needed to be transferred to Perth where Cameron could get the medical care he needed at Princess Margaret Children's Hospital. For the flight to Perth Cameron needed to be intubated because the plane was flying at a high altitude and Cameron would not survive if he wasn't intubated.

Cameron was moved into the resus room and the room started to fill up. There were the emergency hospital doctors, the RFDS staff who flew us in and the RFDS staff who were going to fly us out. The ambulance crew who were going to transfer us to our next flight. We had the paediatrician who had been consulting over the phone and she had a group of trainee doctors. Plus, of course, we had nurses. There were two beds and we sat on the edge of one while everyone stood around Cameron on the other.

As everyone was getting organized Cameron took his final breathe. His little body decided it was just too hard and he couldn't fight anymore.