Little man began to awake just as dinners were about to be served. I was talking to him but he didn't seem to be responding. I pulled him onto my lap. As I looked down expecting to see his little eyes open and look at me he started to lip smack. Lip smacking is part of the onset of a seizure. I continued talking to him hoping to bring him out of it. I don't remember panicking just an intense feeling that I had to stop it. But I couldn't. My step mum who was sitting beside me alerted the air crew and asked them to try and get some Calpol from another passenger. My efforts were not working and I could see him slipping into unconsciousness.
My sons consultant had given me some rectal diazepam to administer in the event of a "convulsion" I had put it in the front pocket of the hand luggage that I had packed. I had, however, packed too much. Perhaps it was the Brio train set that tipped the weight over the allowance. When the check-in clerk had said to me that it was over weight and had to be put in the hold I hadn't remembered the Diazepam in the pocket until it was too late and I remember thinking "It's only a short flight, no need to worry".
The air steward asked me if I had medication for his seizures and I explained what had happened. I felt so incredibly humiliated and stupid. My son was now in full blown seizure and I knew that the longer it continued the higher the risk of damage to his brain. In an almost surreal and movie like moment an announcement was put over the tannoy "If there is a doctor on board, please make yourself known to the cabin crew"
The next moment, to my incredible relief, in wafted the most calm and caring Irish lady doctor. She sat beside me and gently asked me a few questions about my sons history and then explained that she was going to have to inject him with 10ml of diazepam. I agreed and almost instantly the seizure subsided. She sat next to me for a while and asked for oxygen and I held him with a mask over his face with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and relief. Dinners were still being served all around me and I felt the worse was over.
My lovely Irish doctor had left and I was calm and happy sitting cradling my son. Then I was interrupted by a male steward who beckoned to me for a chat. I passed my son to my step mum. The steward explained that my son had had a large dose of diazepam and after talking to the doctor there were risks of breathing complications. He explained that I had a choice; to carry on flying with the risk of having to emergency land in the event of breathing difficulties but that we were heading towards eastern Europe where medical assistance was not good or that we could land now in Munich where there was a very good childrens hospital. The doctor joined us and explained that the risk of breathing difficulties were high due to the dose she had administered. The steward went on to explain that I had to make a decision quickly as we were very close to Munich and running out of time, the pilot wanted to know. Any risk is too great so I decided to land the plane straight away.
What went on around me from that point on in the plane is a blur. I know now that there were complaints from passengers and I remember pain in my ears from a very quick descent. I was focused on holding the oxygen mask over my sons face and watching his breathing. The next thing I remember was German paramedics asking me in German my sons name and age. Thank goodness for the lessons I had at school and thank goodness I could remember. They carried my son off the plane followed by myself, my step mum and my father. We walked out onto the runway towards the awaiting ambulance.................... to be continued
