When Ashton arrived into the world four weeks ago, his mum, Kristine, sighed a breath of relief bigger than most.
The little trooper was born prematurely, at 37 weeks, after his mum was involved in a car accident. Kristine thought she’d either lost her little baby or his bones had been badly broken.
But Ashton couldn’t be healthier.
“The car is completely gone – it’s a write-off,” Kristine said.
“So I thought I’d lost the baby straight away – I didn’t feel any movements, my tummy went really soft and flat, and I copped bruising all over my stomach.”
Like any parent, Kristine panicked, but paramedics Ashley Mann and Emma Philips were her guardian angels, keeping her calm at the scene of the accident.
“The hard part was not knowing whether [Ashton] had left us, so I really appreciated Emma and Ashley being there,” Kristine said.
Kristine, of Hopetoun Park, was taken to the Royal Melbourne’s Hospital and subsequently the Royal Women’s, where she and her unborn baby were monitored and assessed.
And while she didn’t know it at the time, Kristine’s placenta had moved as a result of the accident, mixing her blood with her bub’s.
It was a stressful few days for the family, but three days after the accident, on Friday, February 5, little Ashton was born.
Ms Mann said she had focused on trying to keep Kristine calm during her roadside ordeal. “And given there was a bub involved, it was important she stayed calm – when she’s calm, the baby’s calm.”
Ms Mann meet Ashton two weeks ago.
“One of the things paramedics don’t get to do is follow up,” Ms Mann said. “So when we get to find out how well they’re doing now, it’s really good.
“And the baby’s beautiful.”
