The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Mum’s coast to coast walk to thank hospital staff who saved son
October hike aims to boost health funds and raise awareness of sepsis
A mother is preparing for an epic hike to thank the hospital staff who saved her son from a life-threatening blood disorder.
Alyson Rice plans to walk from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee to Clydebank, setting off on October 12.
In February, teenager Cody Rice was diagnosed with the flu but his condition worsened and he was admitted to Ninewells.
In less than 48 hours he was in intensive care after being diagnosed with the bloodstream infection septicaemia.
Things went from bad to worse when 18-year-old Cody’s lungs started to collapse – the first of several times his mum was told her son was going to die.
Mrs Rice, from Abernyte, Perthshire, said: “It was decided that his only slim hope of survival was to be transferred to Glasgow where they could place him on a specialised life support system that would take over his lung function for him.”
“Bad weather delayed his transfer until the end of the week.
“We could only hope that he would survive long enough to get him to
Glasgow.”
At the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, Mrs Rice and her husband Rod were told there was a “very high chance” their son could die.
The next day, Cody had open heart surgery to remove an infection.
“They also repaired the hole in his heart that he had since he was very young, which we had been told had closed,” said Mrs Rice.
“This was where they thought the infection had got into his heart.”
After Cody had a second operation to remove a large clot from behind his lung, he was transferred back to Ninewells and was only allowed home some six months after his ordeal began.
Mrs Rice said: “It is only through the care and dedication of the most amazing medical team at ICU2 at the Golden Jubilee that Cody is still with us today.
“The whole team, from consultants to surgeons, nurses, nursing assistants, physios, dietitians and even the cleaners went above and beyond to make sure Cody had the best chance of survival. Myself and my husband will forever be grateful.”
Mrs Rice, 46, now plans to recreate Cody’s journey by walking from Ninewells to Clydebank. The sponsored challenge will raise money for the hospital team and awareness of the often misdiagnosed sepsis – a serious complication of septicaemia.
A Facebook page entitled Jubilee Jaunt has been set up to drum up support for her 80-mile challenge.
“The whole team went above and beyond to make sure Cody had the best chance of survival. Myself and my husband will forever be grateful