Brave Neville gives thumbs up to his medical team

Living almost 800km from a tertiary hospital with a youngster with a complex lung condition would be a concern for most parents, but not Dr Leonie Fromberg.

Neville caught a minor respiratory illness that was exacerbated by his non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

LIVING almost 800km from a tertiary hospital with a youngster with a complex lung condition would be a concern for most parents, but not Dr Leonie Fromberg.

In March, Leonie’s son Neville caught a minor respiratory illness that was exacerbated by his non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

It’s a condition that significantly reduces his lungs’ ability to clean themselves.

Neville caught a minor respiratory illness that was exacerbated by his non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

“What would have made other children get a sniffle and a cough was something that put my son in a critical condition,” Leonie said.

“The middle lobe of Neville’s lung collapsed, and we went to Mount Isa and over the next 12 hours his condition deteriorated pretty quickly.

“I remember it was about 4am when we had the team from the paediatric intensive care unit in Townsville call in for a consult via telehealth.”

Neville and Leonie were rushed on a Royal Flying Doctor Service flight to Townsville, where he spent three days in the paediatric intensive care unit.

Leonie, a rural generalist working out of Cloncurry, said care in the regions had been transformed via telehealth.

“If I wasn’t surrounded by clinicians out here that we know and trust we would have left Cloncurry,” she said.

“The team at Mount Isa paediatrics know Neville’s condition well and the intensive care team in Townsville are always available for support via telehealth.

“Neville’s been in and out of hospital, but the care has always been magnificent and I’m always calm and assured that he is in the best hands.”

Leonie her husband Ben and children Makenzii, Alice and Neville will spend this Christmas at Hamilton Island.

Originally published as Brave Neville gives thumbs up to his medical team