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MUM'S HORROR
When Jack fell and hit his head he seemed fine…20 minutes later, he was fighting for life – but 3 words saved him
Mum Jessica reveals how a 'complete freak accident' turned her life upside down
MUM Jessica Howells faced every parent's worst nightmare when her son fell and hit his head.
Little Jack was just 13 months old when he stumbled over in the kitchen, straight onto the hardwood floor.
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He fractured his skull, which caused a bleed on the brain that almost killed him.
Jessica, 30, says: "At first, he seemed alright. He cried a bit, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
"Around 20 minutes later, he settled for a nap. But when he woke up, I could tell something wasn’t right.
"We didn’t know it at the time, but the fall had fractured his skull, causing a ruptured artery and bleeding in his brain.
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"The doctors called it a complete freak accident."
Concerned, she took Jack to their local hospital - but on the way there, things took a dark turn.
"As we could tell that Jack didn’t seem right, we got in the car and decided to take him to A&E, approximately a 30-minute drive away," Jessica says.
"However, while we were en route, Jack started to vomit, became pale, floppy and unresponsive, showing signs of a serious head injury.
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"We pulled over on the side of the road, and my husband Jamie dialled 999 while I tended to Jack."
The family live in the outskirts of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, a rural location, so their ordeal was even more desperate.
I split my forehead in HALF after tripping over – now my eyes are so swollen I look like a goldfish
"We got through to the call handler, but we were having trouble describing our precise location and they were struggling to locate us," Jessica says.
"Losing time was not something we could afford.
"The call handler then asked us if we were able to share our address, and luckily my husband had the app downloaded on his phone already.
"He works in logistics, organising parcel deliveries for global businesses, and he'd heard about the app, which helps identify precise locations, through his job.
"It's quite commonly used in the delivery world. So Jamie opened it and shared the what3words address of where we were and the dispatcher was able to identify our exact location.
"Within just 13 minutes, first responders arrived at the scene."
Minutes later, they made the critical decision to call for an air ambulance.
But due to fog in the area that evening, the helicopter wasn't able to be dispatched, so crew members set off in a rapid response vehicle from Cardiff.
He was covered in so many tubes and wires that from further away, you would have thought they were just wheeling in a trolley of equipment. But our boy was among it all, fighting for his life
Jessica Howells
They arrived with neonatal kits small enough to fit a baby, and determined that it was vital to transport Jack to Cardiff, where he could get the specialised treatment he needed.
There, he was placed in an induced coma.
Desperate and devastated, Jessica and Jamie were given a chance to say farewell to their son in case he didn't make it.
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"We weren't able to travel with Jack but received a police escort," Jessica says.
"Before setting off, they gave us an opportunity to say goodbye.
"After the longest journey of our lives we arrived in Cardiff, not knowing if our baby boy had survived the journey.
"What we were greeted with was like something from a film - a room full of staff ready and prepared to treat our baby."
Odds stacked against him
She adds: "Jack looked so small when he was being wheeled in on an adult-sized trolley.
"He was covered in so many tubes and wires that from further away, you would have thought they were just wheeling in a trolley of equipment.
"But our boy was among it all, fighting for his life."
After some initial exams, doctors determined the youngster would need emergency neurosurgery.
"We talked through the risks of the surgery, which alone were very serious, but as they said it was necessary to save his life, we signed on the dotted line without question," Jessica says.
"It was a success. The amazing neurosurgeons, anaesthetists and their teams saved our baby boy.
"We are so grateful for everyone involved. Every individual made up a different piece of the puzzle in this experience, and there are no words to describe our gratitude to the wonderful NHS heroes.
"Having the what3words app downloaded also meant that they were able to find us quickly and save precious time."
The odds were stacked against him, but almost two years since the accident on February 10, 2023, Jack is now doing "amazingly well".
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"We were told that he might never talk or walk again, but he is doing amazingly well," Jessica adds.
"He is now a year and a half old, progressing as he should - mobile and learning words."
The subtle differences between mild and serious head injuries
FROM a fall in the playground to a nasty bump on the edge of a coffee table - most children suffer a bang to the head at some point.
While many are pretty harmless, there are some scenarios that require urgent medical attention.
Paediatric nurse Justine said in a video posted to Instagram: ";The good thing to know is most head injuries are really mild."
If a youngster cries "straight away" this is usually a good sign, the expert said.
They might also have a mild headache which goes away fairly quickly, but they should return to playing shortly afterwards, she added.
You can help your little one recover more quickly by putting an ice pack on their head, which will help with swelling and pain.
But not all bumps are equal, and in some cases, they can be deadly if not taken seriously.
"If you child has any of these symptoms call 999 straight away," Justine said:
- Loss of consciousness (even for a few seconds)
- Fall form a significant height
- Persistent vomiting
- Headache that does not go away
- Blood or liquids coming from mouth or ears
- Pale
- Floppy
- Really tired
- Changes to their speech
- Memory issues
- Are inconsolable
- Agitated
- Aggressive
- Unsteady on their feet
"You need to be on alert for these signs both directly after and up to 45 hours after the bash," she said.
"Please seek medical attention if they occur."
A severe head injury can result in pressure being placed on the brain because of bleeding, blood clots or a build-up of fluid.
This can sometimes lead to brain damage, which can be temporary or permanent.
Around one in every 2,000 people who attend an A&E department with a head injury dies as a result of their injury.
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