Madison Manners gets rare surgery at Townsville University Hospital

At just three days old, tiny Madison Manners went into surgery to correct a rare condition that affects one in 30,000 births in North Queensland.

AT just three days old, tiny Madison Manners went into surgery to correct a rare condition that affects one in 30,000 births in North Queensland.

Less than two weeks ago, paediatric surgeon Dr Bhanu Rathnamma undertook the delicate task of repairing Madison’s malfunctioning diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen in a surgery that is rarely performed outside Brisbane.

Dr Rathnamma performed the repair using keyhole technique known as thoracoscopic surgery sparing Madison from having her chest cavity opened and a longer, more painful recovery.

Now two weeks old, Madison is home in Bowen with her parents Jane Blackbourn and Laurence Manners.

Ms Blackbourn said the first sign anything was wrong was picked up at a 20-week pregnancy scan.

“At the scan, the ultrasound picked up some abnormalities in Madison’s right diaphragm and our obstetrician then referred us to foetal maternal medicine specialist Dr David Watson and the maternal foetal medicine service,” Ms Blackbourn said.

“Madison is our first child, and it was very stressful and scary to find out about her condition, especially because it wasn’t something we had heard of and we didn’t know what treatment options were available in Townsville.”

Dr Rathnamma said a chest x-ray and ultrasound after Madison’s birth confirmed the eventration.

“This is an uncommon condition which looks similar to a diaphragmatic hernia in the initial scans,” he said.

“For this reason, we had to wait for the X-rays and ultrasounds after Madison was born to confirm the diagnosis which led to the decision to perform the keyhole surgery.

“I’ve performed this keyhole procedure on older children before, but never on a three-day-old baby, and I am so proud of the outcomes we’ve been able to achieve for Madison and her family.”

Maternal foetal medicine specialist Dr David Watson said diaphragmatic eventrations only presented every few years.

“A diaphragmatic eventration is very rare condition, affecting only one in 30,000 births in North Queensland,” Dr Watson said.

“Congenital diaphragmatic hernias are still rare but more common than the eventration and to diagnose the condition we usually notice the displacement of the liver or the stomach up into the chest cavity and the heart is sometimes displaced.

“This is a major abnormality that can be life-threatening for the baby once they are born, but the paediatric surgical management is lifesaving.”

After the surgery, Madison spent two days in neonatal intensive care, before being taken to special care, and then discharged on Sunday.

“This was incredible considering she had the surgery on the Wednesday,” Ms Blackbourn said.

Icons of the North recognised

AN aviation pioneer, a sugar cane industry advocate and a sheep and cattleman have been honoured with the North Queensland equivalent of an OAM.

The Good Australian Award, instituted by Kennedy MP Bob Katter, recognises hardworking and honest North Queenslanders.

This year, Skytran’s Peter Collings, Ayr’s Allan Parker and Richmond’s Grant Lillyman were honoured for their contribution to the North.

Mr Katter says the recipients are now able to put GA after their name.

The Good Australian Award, instituted by Kennedy MP, Bob Katter, recognises hardworking and honest North Queenslanders, and recipients of the award can use the post-nominal letters G.A. after their name. Mayor Jenny Hill to present awards to North Queensland aviation pioneer Peter Collings, North West Queensland rugby league coach and administrator Grant Lillyman, and sugar cane industry advocate and negotiator Allan Parker. L-R Peter Collings, Grant Lillyman, Allan Parker. Picture: Scott Radford-Chisholm

Mr Collings, who grew up on a station south of McKinlay, started his career as a pilot flying around Mr Katter - but it soon grew into much more.

He said the award was a big honour

“My heart is in the bush and my heart is in the Cape and that’s where our airline services,” he said.

“I grew up on a cattle station south of McKinlay, and in my early 20s I bought a plane. I went out and did my commercial licence and loved the industry. When Cannington Mine popped up down the road we expanded with them and became a serious business.”

Bob Katter speaking at the Good Australian Awards. Picture: Scott Radford-Chisholm

Grant Lillyman. Scott Radford-Chisholm

Mr Katter said Mr Collings received his award for creating a major Australian airline to service North Queensland, owned by North Queenslanders.

“This has been an amazing achievement,” Mr Katter said.

“Peter has kept the family station going for most of his life and he has provided a safe and wonderful service to the people of North Queensland through his original airline Mac Air. He now owns SkyTrans alongside Johnathan Thurston.”

For Mr Parker, who is a sugar industry advocate and negotiator, the win was overwhelming.

“A lot of other people have played huge roles in the sugar industry and getting the Code of Conduct. They’ve realised for a better outcome we need guidelines,” he said.

Mr Katter said Mr Parker was a key player in negotiations for the restoration of a protective marketing system in the sugar industry.

“Sugar is an industry that is totally owned by foreign companies that some people would call a monopoly situation over the growers,” Mr Katter said.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill presenting Allan Parker. Picture: Scott Radford-Chisholm

“Farmers were very fearful that we could end up with the miller paying us a devalued farmgate price. The Sugar Code of Conduct drawn up by Allan and his team, has restored a level playing field for growers, but it wasn’t set up to disadvantage processors. Allan was a key negotiator in Canberra and Brisbane for the state legislation.

“An industry that was deregulated has fought back. We had 230,000 farmers in Australia and now we have 80,000. We’ve been slaughtered. Only the sugar industry out of the Burdekin and Ingham and the farmers from Mareeba have fought back against deregulation.”

Mr Lillyman received his award for “bridging the class divide” and for his services to rugby league.

“In the days of the Midwest sheep industry there was an unfortunate social class division subject to many books, stories and songs,” he said.

“It created an unpleasant divide between the sheep cockies’ and the shearers and townies.

Townsville Mayor presenting Peter Collings. Picture: Scott Radford-Chisholm

Grant Lillyman contributed to the breaking down of this barrier.

“He and his wife were prominent in all sports, shooting, rodeo and rugby league. They were able to use the immense power they had, through their deep Christian beliefs, to treat all people the same.

“Grant ran the Midwest rugby league for 20 plus years. His grandson Jake played for QLD, Australia and in the NRL. Grant owned cattle stations and just surviving on the mid-west plains is a giant achievement.”

Mr Lillyman said he was honoured to receive the award.

“Whether I’ve contributed that much is not for me to judge, but I made great friends in the Midwest and reared a family there,” he said.

“We went through a lot of tribulations from shearers’ strikes, to trying to keep the banks off our back. We come from a land where the dingoes are prevalent so it’s not always an easy life.”

Originally published as Madison Manners gets rare surgery at Townsville University Hospital