A new heart just in time

JOHN SELKIRK/The Dominion Post

HELLO: Heart transplant recipient Jessica Ricketts on her Auckland hospital bed.

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As thick fog descended on much of New Zealand on Friday night, an Invercargill family were desperately trying to get to Auckland for a lifesaving operation.

Invercargill 14-year-old Jessica Ricketts has already beaten cancer but has been in Southland Hospital since Easter after the treatment drugs caused irreversible damage to her heart.

She needed a heart transplant to save her life.

Two earlier trips to Auckland were unsuccessful when prospective donor hearts were found to be unviable.

Her family's latest drama began when mother Trudy Hardwick's mobile phone began playing the Can Can on Friday night the tune programmed to play when the Auckland-based heart transplant co-ordinator called.

It was about 7pm and Jessica had until 6am on Saturday to make it to Auckland in time for the transplant.

With Life Flight planes based in Auckland and Christchurch grounded because of fog in each city, alternative transport had to be found.

Despite having night-vision equipment, Te Anau-based pilot Hannibal Hayes was unable to fly because of the fog, while another pilot on Stewart Island had no fog but also no night vision.

As the search became more desperate, Air New Zealand was contacted and considered diverting a plane from Dunedin while relatives proposed using the money from a recent house sale to pay for a private flight.

Mrs Hardwick said it was a terrible time.

"I was scared because she had been going downhill and her heart wasn't working properly. She was going into renal failure.

"I was just really scared that this stupid weather could jeopardise her life."

Eventually the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was able to transport her to the roof of Dunedin Hospital and, after a few tense hours in the intensive care unit, a private jet was chartered from Christchurch to take her to Auckland.

Jessica's mother said she felt nothing but relief when the plane was successfully landed in marginal, foggy conditions in Auckland.

"That was the hard part over really. I had faith in the doctors. They're amazing and I knew she would come through it fine."

Jessica arrived at Starship hospital at 5am and was in theatre receiving her new heart by 10am.

By lunchtime yesterday she had stunned friends and family with her rapid recovery and was transferred to the children's cardiac ward at Starship.

"She's just doing amazingly well," her exhausted mother said yesterday.

"She's talking, recognising people and has been up and walked about four steps." When Jessica first woke on Saturday she asked if she was alive, before falling asleep again and waking later to ask if she was in heaven.

By yesterday afternoon she had eaten her favourite fruit, fresh pineapple, and requested tomato soup. She was already feeling much better than she did before the operation but faced a long recovery, Mrs Hardwick said.

It was likely she would be able to leave Auckland in late September and hoped to return to Southland Girls' High School soon after.

Mrs Hardwick and Jessica thanked staff at Southland Hospital, particularly Dr Ian Shaw, and the many friends and family for their support during the past six years.

- © Fairfax NZ News