At 35 weeks pregnant, Natalie Cross and her husband Justin were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their son while also navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. What the Cross’ hadn’t prepared for was an emergency helicopter transport by Ornge and the arrival of their little boy Eli five weeks early.
 
On August 6, 2021, COVID-19 restrictions had slightly eased which allowed for Cross’ family to host a small celebration of life for the recent passing of a great uncle. The expectant couple made the two-and-a half-hour drive from Huntsville to Pembroke. However, on the drive, she began to feel pain and discomfort in her abdomen. At this point in her pregnancy, Cross was considered high risk as she suffered a subchorionic hemorrhage, which is bleeding between the uterine wall and the membrane, during her first trimester and later had also developed gestational diabetes.
 
“I’m a bit of a hypochondriac, so I tend to think extremes, and I was trying not to,” said Cross. “I thought I was having Braxton Hicks contractions.”
 
Cross and her husband continued the day as normal, visiting family, participating in a bonfire and then returning to their hotel room. However, the pain Cross was experiencing had not subsided.
 
“We decided to call the hospital just in case, and they told us to come in,” said Cross. “And next thing I knew I was four centimetres dilated.”
 
After examining Cross and confirming she was in labour, the attending staff at the Pembroke hospital requested an interfacility transport to Ottawa from Ornge. However, Ornge’s pandemic protocols meant it was up to the responding Ornge pilot whether Cross’ husband could join them on the transport.
 
“I was scared for me, scared for my baby. I knew he was coming too early,” said Cross. “I was telling my husband, ‘If you’re not allowed in the helicopter, I’m not going’.”
 
Once Ornge arrived, the flight crew assured Cross that her husband could be on board, and they can be transported together. On the flight Cross’ husband was not connected to the communications system, so it was Ornge paramedics who kept her calm and helped her through her contractions as they flew to Ottawa.
 
“They kept me calm, talked me through it and reassured me that once we got there, I’d be able to get something for the pain and they’d take care of me,” said Cross. 
 
Once Cross and the transport team arrived at the Ottawa hospital, nurses began to follow COVID-19 screening protocols.
 
“They were just trying to do their jobs, but they started giving me the COVID-19 screening, and the first thing they asked me was ‘Do you have abdominal pain?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m in labour’.” “When you’re in labour and being asked if you have abdominal pain, it’s a little aggravating,” said Cross.
 
Noticing the pain and discomfort of Cross, Ornge paramedics referred the nurses to finish the questions with her husband as they wheeled her into her room to get ready for the birth of her son. Our Ornge paramedics also gifted Cross a stuffed Flyin’ Lion, which the family has named Ryan.
 
“I’d never forgotten them or the kindness they showed me when it was a scary day for me,” said Cross.
 
On August 7, Cross gave birth to Eli Cross, weighing in at five pounds. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the family had to wait another day until they could meet their son. Cross also developed pre-eclampsia, which extended her hospital stay for another five days.
 
“They wouldn’t let me see him for the first 26 hours of his life until my COVID test came back negative,” said Cross. “The test came back negative at 6 a.m. the following day, and then I had to wait for two hours for the paperwork to go through administration.”
 
Once Cross and her husband did see Eli, they were overcome with joy at their perfectly healthy baby boy.
 
“Eli was born happy and healthy. He was fully developed. His lungs were good, he could hold his temperature,” said Cross. “He was my little red jellybean. He was so red and so blond.”
 
Today, baby Eli is still a happy and healthy little boy who will be turning four at the beginning of August. He also starts kindergarten in September.
 
Cross and her husband credit the Ornge transport team from that day for helping them to deliver baby Eli in the best place possible and being there when their family needed them most. Our team that day exhibited our values, where kind and compassionate patient-centred care is prioritized.
 
“It's hard as a professional to make choices that other professionals might not agree with, but in doing the best for your client. They really did that, they really put advocating for me above all, and I can’t say how much I appreciate that,” said Cross.
 
Cross also further thanked Ornge as a whole.
 
“We are so incredibly lucky,” said Cross. “They might not always feel like they’re making the biggest difference in general, but to every single person that they have helped, you’ve made such a difference in our lives.”

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• Patients and Families