TPCH and RBWH teams rally to save new mum and her baby

Metro North Health clinicians from across multiple hospitals have banded together to save the life of new mum Tina Lee and her baby Henry.

The Prince Charles Hospital thoracic and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital obstetrics, NICU and NeoResq teams joined forces to support Tina across a whirlwind few weeks where she had to give birth early as her health rapidly declined.

Tina, who has cystic fibrosis, was 34 weeks pregnant when she collapsed during an antenatal appointment, where it was discovered her lungs had failed. At just 15 per cent lung capacity, Henry had to be delivered early where he was cared for in the NICU at RBWH, while doctors raced against the clock for a solution to save Tina at TPCH.

Her health was so poor that she did not think she would survive as she was not responding to any conventional treatment – with the NeoResq team making an incredible journey with premature bub Henry to Tina at TPCH so she could have one last cuddle and say goodbye.

But in amazing news, it was not their last cuddle, as a combination of experimental arthritis drugs used effectively for the first time in Australia for this type of illness were able to improve her lung capacity so much that she could leave hospital.

Professor Peter Hopkins from The Prince Charles Hospital and his team had read about an overseas lung transplant patient who had “dramatic improvement” after being administered the rheumatoid arthritis drug, tocilizumab, however it had never been used in a cystic fibrosis patient in Australia.

“Most organ rejection can be treated with steroids, but I think this case has proven that sometimes they don’t work, and we do need to think about these other treatments,” Prof Hopkins said.

“In transplant, we’re always trying to think of innovative ways to treat our patients.”

Both mum and bub are now in good health and at home in Yeppoon, enjoying the abundance of cuddles made possible through this life-saving treatment.

Tina will return to Brisbane regularly for check-ups, but at this stage is just enjoying being a Mum.

“I still have to pinch myself most mornings when I see him. He’s just beautiful. Being able to wake up and do the night feeds, I get so excited,” Tina said.

“It’s the best chapter of my life yet.”