Mercy dash to save Solomon Island infant
- Release Date: 24/07/2006
- Media Contact: Miranda Hunt 0410 417 790
A number of organisations have collaborated to ensure a 12-month old girl from Honiara, in the Solomon Islands, could obtain emergency medical treatment in Australia to remove a foreign body from her right lung.
The infant had accidentally inhaled the plastic tip off a coat hanger 14 days earlier causing respiratory distress and pneumonia.
The high risk procedure to remove the foreign body was performed yesterday, Sunday 23 July, at Mater Children's Hospital by ENT surgeon Dr Anthony Parker and anaesthetist Dr Phil Stephens.
Failure to remove the foreign body would have caused massive infection of the right lung resulting in the loss of the lung, or even death.
Elma is expected to make a full recovery with no further complications.
She and her mother are booked to return to the Solomon Islands on Tuesday 25 July.
The emergency procedure was made possible thanks to Charity group Aspen who coordinated the mercy dash, the Solomon Island Government who funded the child's transfer from Honiara, the Australian Embassy who facilitated visas, the Southern District Lion's Clubs who covered all the medical costs and also the doctors who donated their time.