Guardian angels on ’24 Hours in A&E’
This week’s episode focuses on patients and their families who feel like a guardian angel has watched over them at a crucial time.
10-month-old baby Amy is rushed to St George’s after her parents awoke to find she’d stopped breathing. “Your instinct to protect your child kicks in the second that she’s in your arms. When she’s born you say you’re going to look after her and then she’s going through something and you’re not,” says Amy’s dad, Nick.
Doctors are concerned that Amy’s condition could deteriorate and need to work quickly to work out what is wrong with her. Paediatric registrar Sharmila is looking after Amy. “There’s quite a long list of things that make a baby stop breathing,” says Sharmilla. “It’s a scary position to be in as a parent.”
63-year-old Zaki recently underwent a tonsillectomy after being diagnosed with throat cancer. But he’s come to A&E after suffering a bad bleed at home, He’s transferred to resus so that doctors can get his bleeding under control.
Zaki’s wife Kalala talks about their secret love affair in Iraq. As Kurds, the couple were forced to flee the country. “My husband was very brave. I felt safe, as though there is an angel who is always guarding me,” says Kalala. “ He has to be in my life. If he has to go, I’m going with him. There is no way I can stay in a world that he does not exist.”
Meanwhile 21-year-old expectant dad Craig has fallen thirty feet while racing his motocross bike, which landed on top of him. But it looks like he’s had a miraculous escape. “If someone falls thirty feet there’s an endless amount of injuries that can happen,” says staff nurse Christine. “You could write a book on the amount that Craig could have had.” But will Craig learn his lesson?
