Karen Hedger’s terrifying reality when teen daughter Paris fell sick on dream trip to the United States

Karen Hedger experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when her teenage daughter ended up fighting for her life while on a dream overseas trip.

Teenager Paris Hedger was on an overseas trip of a lifetime almost 20,000 kilometres from home when she nearly died.

Her loving mum Karen Hedger, desperate to be by her daughter’s side, was unable to get to her – every parent’s worst fear.

After saving up for almost a decade, Paris was finally able to live out her dream of watching the ball drop in New York City to ring in 2024.

The then 19-year-old didn’t know it then she’d soon be living a nightmare fighting for life in ICU.

“She’s wanted to go to New York her entire life,” Ms Hedger told The Advertiser.

“As a child she had this big picture of the New York landscape on one of her walls – she’s been obsessed with it.”

Paris in New York City. Picture: Supplied by family

Paris after returning back to Adelaide after almost losing her life in the US. Picture: Supplied by family

Paris, a travel content creator, travelled to the United States on December 17 with a friend to spend the holidays in New York City before travelling to Las Vegas in January and then Los Angeles for her 20th birthday later in the month.

She ticked off bucket list dreams – flying in a helicopter over the city, shopping on Fifth Ave and strolling through Central Park – she even saw the ball drop standing in the front row.

“She got right up to the barricade and she was dancing and they had her up on the billboard,” Ms Hedger, who is a hairdresser, said.

“She was very lucky she got that bit done before she got sick.”

Paris in Las Vegas, on her dream trip. Picture: Supplied by family

Paris’s lungs are filled 50 per cent with blood clots. Picture: Supplied by family

On January 12, while in Beverly Hills, Paris suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe.

The Craigmore woman was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a hospital in Beverly Hills, where scans revealed 50 per cent of her lungs were full of blood clots.

“He (the doctor) said to me, ‘your daughter is seriously unwell, 40 per cent of my patients will die from this, this is very life-threatening’,” Ms Hedger said.

Paris Hedger was in the US with her friend when she suddenly felt unwell. Within hours she was rushed to ICU in a critical condition and later diagnosed with a pulmonary embolisms and she almost lost her life. Picture: RoyVphotography

Paris underwent an emergency procedure which caused her to end up in ICU for four days – where she celebrated her 20th birthday.

“It was very dangerous and the worst thing was I didn’t have a passport,” Ms Hedger said.

“It was horrendous just knowing how critically unwell she was – I was just thinking my child could die and I’m here.”

After a range of tests on January 20, Paris was able to fly back to Adelaide on a business class commercial flight with a medical escort – a flight that would’ve cost Ms Hedger $34,000 if Paris didn’t have travel insurance.

“I bought this massive banner and it said ‘Welcome home, you were missed terribly’,” Ms Hedger said.

Paris Hedger (centre) pictured with mum Karen and younger sister Charlie. Picture: RoyVphotography

“She came off in a wheelchair … it was a mixture of relief to see her and then absolute fear of what comes next.”

Since arriving back in Adelaide, Paris, who has been diagnosed with group one chronic thrombosis pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary hypertension and clots group four, has been into and out of hospital suffering episodes of extremely low blood pressure and lack of oxygen.

Paris while on a business flight home to Adelaide with a medical escort. Picture: Supplied by family

Paris faces a double lung transplant. Picture: Supplied by family

There was one day Paris was walking with the family dog when she collapsed.

“I thought she was dead, she was just grey and lifeless and I started screaming,” Ms Hedger said.

Doctors thought Paris should undergo a speciality operation in Melbourne, as the surgery cannot be performed in Adelaide, where her body temperature is reduced to 18C and doctors remove the blood clots – however a damaged lung artery has made Paris ineligible for the high-risk surgery.

Now the 20-year-old is potentially facing a double lung transplant.

Paris while on a helicopter flying over New York City. Picture: Supplied by family

Paris on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills moments before she was rushed to hospital. Picture: Supplied by family

While Ms Hedger will never know for sure why her daughter’s lungs filled with blood clots, she said doctors hypothesised it could’ve been from a shin injury she received three weeks before her flight to New York.

“She’d been on a cruise and on one of these excursions she was on a horse trail and the horse in front kicked back and it kicked her on the shin and so that caused quite bad damage to her leg,” Ms Hedger said.

“We took her to the hospital after that and they said it was fine and they cleared her.

“That combined with the flight is what ended up with her problem over there.”

Both Paris and Ms Hedger have had to stop working during Paris’ indefinite recovery.

If you’d like to donate to help the family, you can here.

Originally published as Karen Hedger’s terrifying reality when teen daughter Paris fell sick on dream trip to the United States