Angel of the Year: Rachel Peterkin-Smith and Alison Legg
TWO ‘incredible’ midwives whose actions helped save the lives of both a mum and her baby have been nominated jointly for the Ravenscroft-sponsored Angel of the Year award.
Dominique Davison has put forward Rachel Peterkin-Smith and Alison Legg after they helped her through a traumatic birth.
It was in November last year that Mrs Davison went up to Loveridge Ward. She was about 29 weeks pregnant and experiencing reduced movement.
Rachel looked after her while she was monitored but although all seemed well, she kept Mrs Davison on the monitor longer because of how anxious she appeared to be.
‘I then became acutely unwell very quickly and collapsed whilst being monitored,’ said Mrs Davison. ‘My blood pressure elevated to a life threatening level. Alison was the midwife in-charge on that shift, she came straight to me.’
She was rushed to the delivery room where she was assessed by three consultants, all the while being given life-saving treatment by Alison and Rachel.
‘At the time it was really frightening, especially the rapid infusions,’ she said. ‘I felt so unwell, however Rachel and Alison never left my side and remained so calm.’
Mrs Davison was flown to Portsmouth the following morning: ‘Rachel accompanied me and held my hand the entire flight.’
Two weeks later, her daughter Willow was born in an emergency caesarean section. Willow had stopped growing at 26 weeks and weighed just 1.3kg (just under three pounds).
Mrs Davison and Willow remained in Portsmouth Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for a month and came back to Guernsey on Christmas Eve, staying in the local NICU for a further month.
‘My husband, myself and our family are so incredibly grateful for the wonderful care given to myself and Willow,’ she said.
‘We are so fortunate to have a brilliant maternity and NICU here with incredible nurses, midwives and doctors. The best Christmas present we could have asked for was Willow and even more special that she finally got to meet her amazing big sister Amelia on Christmas Eve.
‘I will never be able to repay them for saving our lives that day. They are both incredible midwives and I owe them everything.
‘They truly are angels.’
