- Doctors told Rachel Tuite, from Lincolnshire, that her three-year-old son Alex could have died from his cough had it not been quickly treated
- The condition was diagnosed over the phone by Barbara Anne Tulloch in an NHS call centre in Newcastle, who promptly called an ambulance
- Rachel Tuite tracked down the NHS worker after the Christmas Day drama to express gratitude – and Barbara Anne Tulloch said ‘it’s just my job’
By
Sarah Griffiths
06:21 EST, 31 January 2014
|
06:21 EST, 31 January 2014
A mother whose toddler was saved by an NHS call handler, who diagnosed his distinctive cough as croup, has tracked down the woman to say ‘thank you’.
Doctors told Rachel Tuite that her three-year-old son Alex could have died from his cough, had it not been recognised by Barbara Anne Tulloch in a call centre in Newcastle.
The toddler received potentially life-saving treatment on Christmas Day, at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
Doctors told Rachel Tuite that her son Alex could have died from his cough, had it not been recognised by Barbara Anne Tulloch in a call centre in Newcastle. The family is pictured at home after Alex made a full recovery. Rachel Tuilte, Alex, his brother Harrison, 9 and grandmother Margaret Gowan are pictured left to right
WHAT IS CROUP?
Croup is a childhood condition, usually caused by a virus, that affects the windpipe, bronchi and voice box.
A child with the condition tends to have a distinctive barking cough, a hoarse voice and breathing difficulties.
It can usually be diagnosed by a GP and treated at home but in rare cases a child may need hospital treatment.
The condition is most common in children aged between six-months-old and three-years-old.
It is more common in boys than girls and usually occurs during the autumn and winter.
About 60 per cent of cases clear up within 48 hours but in some children the condition lasts for up to two weeks.
It is very rare for a child to die of croup.
Source: NHS Choices
Ms Tuite received help from the NHS to track down Ms Tulloch and say thank you and after talking on the phone, the women have become friends and intend to stay in touch.
Alex Tuite is now back at his home in Barnoldby-le-Beck, near Grimsby, Lincolnshire, with his family.
‘Alex survived and it feels like it was meant to be, but it just shows how quickly you can lose something,’ Ms Tuite said.
‘Those first 45 minutes in hospital were the longest of my life. If I had put him to bed that night he could have died in his sleep.
‘We owe Barbara and the emergency services a huge debt of gratitude – it was lovely to talk to Barbara personally and thank her for saving my son.’
Ms Tulloch said that the moment she heard Alex cough, she knew it was croup as it has a distinctive harsh sound.
NHS call handler Barbara Anne Tulloch (pictured) said that the moment she heard Alex cough, she knew it was croup as it has a distinctive harsh sound
‘I told them to stay on the line while I called the ambulance, it’s just my job – I do it every day but it’s so nice to have some positive feed-back.
‘We don’t usually find out what happens to the people we help on the phone,’ she added.
The Tuite family first became concerned when Alex developed a barking cough on Christmas morning, which worsened as the day went on.
At 5pm he awoke from a nap with a more pronounced cough and Ms Tuite called NHS Direct for advice, thinking it was nothing too serious.
But after Ms Tulloch made her diagnosis, she called an ambulance which arrived at the family home in minutes.
Paramedics gave Alex oxygen before taking him to hospital where an air ambulance was put on standby in case he needed to be transferred to Sheffield or Leeds for specialist care.
Ms Tuite said: ‘Alex’s chest went in because he was trying so hard to breathe and the red light on the monitor was flashing.
The Tuite family first became concerned when Alex (pictured) developed a barking cough on Christmas morning, which worsened as the day went on. He is pictured having made a full recovery
‘At one point there were eight doctors and nurses around his bed and I was told he could die – this was just two hours after he was playing with his presents.
‘We went into the family room as I couldn’t watch – the doctors were whispering to each other and looking worried.
‘Then all of a sudden he came round and said “hello mum†and we were so relieved. His eyes opened and he hugged me.’
Croup is a childhood condition that affects the windpipe, the airways and the voice box.
Children with croup have a distinctive cough and make a harsh sound known as stridor when they breathe in.
Margaret Gowan, Alex Tuite’s grandmother said: ‘We cannot thank the emergency services enough.
‘They saved Alex’s life – the service we got from the first call handler to the paramedics and doctors was amazing.’
The toddler received potentially life-saving treatment at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, Lincolnshire (pictured)
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JJ,
Ulverston, United Kingdom,
moments ago
The same thing happened to me in 2003. I rang NHS Direct because my 4 year old son had a terrifying sounding cough and the handler immediately called an ambulance for him. It was croup and he had to stay in hospital. I would like to say a belated thank you to the handler in my case too!
Fooling no one,
Leeds, United Kingdom,
10 minutes ago
How ironic, the story below this one is about the 111 service contributing to a death.
the geek,
uk,
18 minutes ago
too many people just don`t know the basics of first aid these days. My son got croup at midnight when living in the middle of no-where, I put a strongly steaming kettle in his room while I cuddled him. The GP would not come out, we could have lost our son and am so glad we acted very quickly. This was 1974 and I was just a young mum who had always been interested in medicine and first aid
Sarah B,
London, United Kingdom,
19 minutes ago
In the meantime before the ambulance arrives, boil a kettle for steam or put him in a bathroom (NOT A BATH) with very hot water – the steam helps ease breathing in croup. An effective “Granny†remedy that could help to save a life.
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