Family feared for Kinsley’ s life after ambulance delay

The grandmother of a terminally ill Angus toddler said she feared her granddaughter would die after an ambulance delay.

Karen Kennedy from Forfar called twice for an ambulance when her granddaughter, Kinsley Mcmillan, had a seizure, but felt she had to drive her alone before help arrived.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said an emergency vehicle was sent, but Karen and Kinsley had already set off for Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. A spokesperson said an investigation will be held and the family will be contacted directly.

Kinsley has a rare type of brain tumour and is blind. Her illness has been defined as terminal, but doctors are continually working to prolong her life.

The two-year-old’s family feared the worst when she had a serious seizure at her Forfar home just after 7am on April 27. Her worried gran and mum, Eden Kennedy, called for an ambulance just before 7.30am. Karen said her understanding during the call was that no ambulance was available.

The family then contacted the hospital, where Kinsley’s doctor told them to call again for an ambulance.

Karen said: “We did this, but again we understood that one wasn’t available.

“We were so worried about Kinsley that we didn’t want any delay and decided to drive her to hospital ourselves.”

The ambulance service spokesperson said the first call was cancelled after the family advised they would take Kinsley themselves.

During the second call, a high-priority red response was made, and the ambulance arrived 23 minutes after the call.

Karen had already left, believing the ambulance was not coming.

Describing the incident as the “worst day of her life”, Karen said she is furious and wants reassurance this will never happen again. She said: “It was horrific.

“I dialled 999 for an ambulance, but when I spoke to the operator, I was told we wouldn’t get one.

“Kinsley is red-flagged, meaning that an ambulance has to be sent if we ask for one.”

During the time Karen was on the phone to the emergency services, Kinsley’s condition deteriorated.

“All the time Kinsley was having this dreadful seizure,” she said.

“Eventually we had to load her into my car so I could take her to hospital myself.

“I believed no ambulance would be coming in time and I just wanted to get her to hospital in case she required resuscitation.

“She was rigid, foaming at the mouth and going unconscious. I was absolutely terrified Kinsley was going to die.”

Karen added: “When I got to the hospital, four doctors and Kinsley’s own clinician all rushed out to meet us.

“She was immediately given medication to stabilise her. She has made a recovery, but I dread to think we would ever go through that again.

“I shouldn’t have had to drive Kinsley myself in this condition. It’s the most traumatising thing I have ever experienced and I never want to have to go through that again.”

Kinsley was diagnosed in September 2020, when she was just five months old.

Since then, she has been through gruelling surgeries and chemotherapy.

In January, she had an 11hour operation to remove most of her brain tumour and almost died during surgery. Without the operation, doctors said the brave tot could only live for two or three months.

Despite the surgery being successful, Kinsley’s condition is still terminal.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service said it was the operator’s understanding that Karen would take Kinsley to hospital, but an ambulance was sent during the second call.

They said: “This was obviously a really stressful situation, and this must have been really worrying for the family and Kinsley.

“We are really sorry that the family feel let down and hope Kinsley is recovering well from her recent illness.

“We will be undertaking a more detailed investigation and will contact the family directly to discuss their concerns and explain the actions taken.”

During the second call, a high priority red response was made, and the ambulance arrived 23 minutes after the call, according to the spokesperson. Karen disputes this, saying she left for hospital after 40 minutes, believing the ambulance was not coming.

I was absolutely terrified Kinsley was going to die

EMERGENCY: Two-year-old Kinsley, who has a brain tumour and is blind, is seen here with mum Eden and gran Karen Kennedy. Pictures by Gareth Jennings.