16/12/2024
Can you help?
Local twins Stella and Maisey were born prematurely at 33 weeks and their developmental journey has been marked by significant challenges. They have co-occurring diagnoses of congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS), Autism and a multitude of comorbidities. They are under the care of a large team at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, given their complex health needs. They also frequently access therapy support, and require support from a team of registered nurses on a daily basis.
On Sunday 8th December, Stella went into cardiopulmonary arrest.
She aspirated during that event, and required CPR from her parents. Stella was retrieved by SAAS and taken to Port Lincoln Hospital where they were able to stabilise her enough for Medstar to airlift her to the Women’s & Children’s Hospital. While she managed well with the intervention of high flow air and oxygen into her lungs, her respiratory rate was 4x the desired amount, meaning she was working very, very hard for very little oxygen. Stella was admitted into the ward, however quickly deteriorated and was transferred into paediatric intensive care, where they attempted to place her on non-invasive intubation, though this failed and she again went into cardiopulmonary arrest.
The only option left was to place her on life support, where she currently remains. She has since tested positive for Covid, and Rhinovirus, and has a bacterial infection within her lungs caused by the aspiration. Today, they have found a secondary bacterial infection, and with the viruses, as well as severe pneumonia, she is heavily reliant on the machines to keep her breathing and prevent further damage.
Due to her genetic condition, there are a multitude of medications she cannot have, which would ideally be used to treat pneumonia. WCH are unable to determine if she has experienced any brain damage, and this can be assessed when she is able to be extubated.
Stella’s twin sister Maisey is currently in 24/7 care with her regular nurses in Port Lincoln She has also recently been unwell, and was only discharged from hospital last week so her team are on high alert.
Their older brother is being cared for by his grandparents.
Reneya and David are both in Adelaide with Stella and it is expected they will spend at least the remainder of 2024 there, given the seriousness of Stella’s condition.
Despite Reneya completing her studies as an enrolled nurse, it has been difficult for her to enter the workforce due to Maisey and Stella’s ongoing support needs. Additionally, this is normally David’s busiest time of the year and the family were relying on this to get through the Christmas period, however it is essential that he remain in Adelaide to be with his family.
We want to come together as a community to support Stella, Maisey and their family and help alleviate the financial burden they are facing, so they can focus on being together as a family and getting through these difficult times. Any contribution, big or small, will mean the world.
Click the link to the go fund me to donate, you can also donate at Magic 89.9 on Liverpool St.
Stella and Maisey are 5 years of age and live in Port Lincoln w… Maisey and Stella Bowman Support Network needs your support for Stella's Life Support Journey
