Five-year-old Ella-May suddenly collapsed while her mother was painting her finger nails and doctors later found she had suffered a cardiac arrest as she spent a month at Alder Hey Hospital
A young girl suddenly collapsed and had to be placed into a medically induced coma when her mum was painting her finger nails.
Ella-May, five, had been laughing with her mother, Gemma Griffiths, when she suddenly stopped breathing. The frightened mum started CPR as a neighbour, who is a paramedic, rushed to her aid while they waited for an ambulance which arrived shortly afterwards.
The schoolgirl was rushed to Alder Hey where they sent her for a CT scan and found out she had suffered a cardiac arrest. During her stay in hospital she suffered another arrest and spent a month in hospital recovering.
Gemma told the ECHO : “It was a rollercoaster. She woke up extremely tired the next day but we just put it down to tiredness.
“I helped out with the Halloween party in the night and it was then when we realised she was acting out of character. She was throwing herself around and screaming.
“She went to bed at 6pm that night because she was just exhausted. We didn’t think it would be this serious.”
“The hospital has been amazing. Dr Michael Bowes has worked tirelessly to help Ella-May. I’m in awe of every staff member there, nothing was ever too much for them. Even when she went back for her surgery last week, they all remembered her.”
While on the ward, doctors diagnosed her with Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT) – a rare condition which causes irregular heart rhythms and can be life threatening. Ella-May was discharged for Christmas after having a device which records heart rhythms but returned to Alder Hey where she had a sympathectomy where doctors cut a nerve which can reduce adrenaline to the heart.
Gemma, who lives with her milkman fiancé Dan with their two other children aged one and two years old, is now raising awareness around the condition, with key symptoms being tiredness, palpitations, fainting and light-headedness.
Ella-May’s grandmother, Trudie Gillespie, is also raising money for Alder Hey by completing a 84km bike ride next month. Gemma wrote on the fundraiser: “The hospital will remain a huge part of Ella-May’s life, and we are forever grateful to the incredible staff at Alder Hey.
“To show our appreciation and raise funds for this amazing hospital, Granny (Trudie) is taking on a challenge—an 84k bike ride in February! We hope to raise money and awareness for Alder Hey, a place that has truly gone above and beyond for our family.”
