Baby reunited with paramedic who helped save his life during airlift to hospital

The Hoey family visited the charity’s base near Eaglescliffe and Isaac was reunited with paramedic Andy Mawson. Credit: GNAAS

A four-year-old has been reunited with the paramedic who helped save his life when he was airlifted to hospital as a newborn.

Isaac Hoey from Sunderland was just six weeks old when he suddenly stopped breathing during a family weekend break in the Mungrisdale area of the Lake District.

His mother Helen Hoey said: “We had been for a weekend away in the Lakes and Isaac had developed a cold over the course of a few days which had gradually got worse.

"On the Monday morning we had packed the car and were ready to go home when Isaac started crying in his car seat.

Isaac was airlifted to the paediatric intensive care unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. Credit: Family photo

"It’s normal for a baby to cry, but then he was having a coughing fit whilst he was crying and his face went blue, so I shouted for my husband Steven and between us we rang an ambulance."

Fortunately the mother had taken a first aid course a few weeks before Isaac was born and was able to guide her husband on how perform CPR on a newborn baby.

The parents managed to get Isaac breathing again just before paramedics from the North West Ambulance Service and a paramedic and doctor team from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) arrived.

Baby Isaac and his parents reunited with the GNAAS team who helped save his life. Credit: Great North Air Ambulance Service

Isaac was administered oxygen by GNAAS’ critical care team before being airlifted to the paediatric intensive care unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where it was revealed that Isaac was suffering from bronchiolitis.

Isaac has since had a couple more bouts of bronchiolitis, and has a constant cough, but has recovered well.

Now alongside his two-year-old brother Elijah he has raised £730 for GNAAS by walking, running and scooting 32 miles in a month.

Isaac during his recovery. Credit: Family photo.

The family visited the charity’s base near Eaglescliffe and Isaac was reunited with paramedic Andy Mawson, who is also the director of operations at GNAAS.

Mr Mawson said: "I still remember how tiny Isaac was when I first saw him, so it was a pleasure to meet him again four years later and see how much he has grown, as well as meet his little brother Elijah.

"I was delighted to hear how much the boys had raised for our charity and they should be very proud of their achievement."

Mrs Hoey added: “Not many people realise GNAAS is not part of the NHS, it’s completely based on charitable donations.

"It would be horrendous to think that another family would be in our situation, and that the air ambulance wasn’t there to help. It’s such an essential service and obviously needs to be funded in order to make sure that it keeps running."