Slightly disgruntled and just a bit excited, seven-year-old Xavier went back to school last week … with a story to tell.
The Darley youngster had been playing with his younger brother Isaac, building a pillow fort, when he fell off the bed and struck his head during the school holidays.
Xavier was at first unfazed but later started complaining of blurred vision and a headache. His mum, Anna, rushed him to the Bacchus Marsh hospital.
“We originally thought he had a concussion, but we knew it was much worse when Xavier started vomiting, lost consciousness and had multiple seizures,” Anna said.
“As a parent you never expect this to happen to your child from a simple accident.
“We were really worried about him. We didn’t know if he’d be OK, we didn’t know what was wrong with him. We were scared we were going to lose our son.”
Paramedics were called and Xavier was airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital where he underwent scans, revealing a fractured skull.
Dad Jason said the help of the paramedics, their reassurance and caring natures had made the ordeal just that bit easier.
“The professionalism was fantastic, and you can train for that … but what you can’t teach someone is to be caring,” he said.
“And the fact they cared, it helped us deal with everything … don’t get me wrong, it was still horrific, but the fact they cared and were personal was a nice edge to have during such a horrific situation.”
Paramedic Ashley Mann urged parents not to be afraid to call an ambulance if they faced a similar situation … and young Xavier is now looking at a career in Ambulance Victoria.
