Survivor baby has returned to Chch

A baby who survived a rare reaction to anaesthetic – and her life support being switched off – has returned home to Christchurch.

Seven-month-old Chrissa Squire’s journey will last ‘‘quite a while’’ as she remains in the high dependency unit at Christchurch Hospital, her mother Stephanie Allan says. ‘‘We’re just not too sure what’s going to happen the next day. At the moment it’s getting her comfortable.’’

Chrissa was born with Pierre Robin syndrome and has spent much of her short life in hospital.

She has an unusually small lower jaw and a tongue that falls backward in her throat, which can block her airway.

Her parents were unaware Chrissa also had malignant hyperthermia, but that changed when they took her to Christchurch Hospital about two weeks ago with bronchitis.

The genetic disease causes muscle contractions and a rapid rise in body temperature when the patient is given general anaesthetic.

When she arrived at hospital, Chrissa’s bronchitis deteriorated into pneumonia and she was put on a breathing machine.

She was given anaesthetic and immediately had a reaction. Her heart stopped, which resulted in brain damage.

The family was flown to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland. Doctors removed her breathing machine on Tuesday, but the little ‘‘fighter’’ pulled through, Allan said. ‘‘She’s fighting and we’re going to fight with her.’’

The next step would be removing Chrissa’s intrajugular central line, which administers some of her medication.

‘‘ Then we might be able to go to a [general] ward.

Allan said Chrissa was blind, had limited movement and was thought to be partially paralysed. ‘‘I’m thinking positive ... I’m following her cues and she’s showing me she’s fighting, so I’m going to fight with her. It’s more that she’s guiding me.

‘‘I’ll be her voice.’’