Parents thank Poole Hospital staff for saving daughters life (From Thisisdorset)

Parents thank Poole Hospital staff for saving daughters life

12:00pm Saturday 8th December 2012 in Latest By Alex Winter

THE PARENTS of a little girl with diabetes have thanked staff at Poole Hospital for saving her life.

Thirteen-month-old Betty-Peach Rutter, who lives with mum Kimberley, dad Graham and big sisters Morgan, 10, and Eryn, nine, was rushed to hospital in late November, where it was discovered she was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

The condition, which occurs when the body is unable to break down glucose because there isn’t enough insulin, can cause potentially fatal complications, including severe dehydration, coma and swelling of the brain.

Kimberley, who lives with her family in St Leonards, thought her daughter might be poorly because of her MMR jab, or because of a chest infection she had recently suffered.

Betty-Peach was constantly thirsty, drinking around eight bottles of nine ounces of water a day, before she developed a temperature and began having trouble breathing.

An ambulance was called at 5am on a Sunday morning after she became floppy and breathless, and on their arrival to hospital, more than 10 doctors and nurses were waiting.

Kimberley, who says there is no history of diabetes in the family, said: “It was at the point where I asked the doctor, ‘Is she going to be ok?’, and he said, ‘Please don’t ask me that’.

“No one knew what was going to happen. Her body was filling up with poison. If we hadn’t taken her into the hospital then, and if it wasn’t for the team waiting for us when we got there, she wouldn’t be with us anymore. They saved her life, and they were just amazing.”

Little Betty-Peach, who has Type One diabetes, now receives a small amount of insulin constantly from a pump inserted into her back through a cannula.

Every time she eats, her family give her more insulin via Bluetooth, which connects to her pump.

She also has regular appointments with diabetes nurse Bobbie Taylor, who often works out of hours to make sure the little girl is well.

“My older girls have been really wonderful too,” Kimberley said.

“They sometimes ask about when she was poorly, but we don’t want them to think like that. Betty-Peach is a normal little girl with a condition that we deal with. She’s no different to anyone else. We want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who helped us at the hospital, and in particular Bobbie and the consultant Dr McAuley. She wouldn’t be here without them.”

Martin Smits, director of nursing and patient services at Poole Hospital, said: “We’re touched that the parents have been moved to publicly recognise our hardworking and highly skilled doctors and nurses. We wish Betty-Peach all the best for her future.”