Paige back in the saddle after year of care at TUH

On a sunny Saturday in May last year, life as Bluewater couple Ellen and Alex Gillman knew it changed forever.
A freak accident involving a gate at their seven-year-old daughter Paige’s pony club left her with multiple crush injuries including a collapsed lung, serious lacerations, and four broken ribs.
Fast-forward a year and the Gillmans want to share their daughter’s incredible story of recovery, one they said would not have been possible without the care of emergency, medical, surgical, nursing, and allied health staff at Townsville University Hospital (TUH).
And the courage of one special little girl.
“It was absolutely terrifying to see her so injured,” Ellen said.
“The chaos and emotion of that day has made it difficult to remember names, but the impact the hospital has had on us is unforgettable.
“The resuscitation team in emergency led by Dr Olwen Gilbert was extraordinary; they not only attended to our daughter’s urgent needs but also recognised how terrifying the experience was for a little girl.”
Paige was transferred from the ED to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) where she spent four days on a ventilator (breathing machine).
“The PICU team watched over our daughter with such diligence, kindness, and warmth and the support staff who helped with lifting, rolling, and transporting her treated her with such care,” Ellen said.
“It meant the world to us that, even when she was intubated and sedated, she was treated with such respect.
“The surgical team was incredible and quite literally pieced our daughter back together, and the post-operative care they provided was outstanding.”
Paediatric emergency specialist Dr Gilbert said Paige was ‘so very brave’.
“She had a severe laceration to her back and a collapsed lung that needed a chest drain,” she said.
“I had my whole team around me, and this is what we train for, so I knew Paige was in safe hands.
“I talked to her about her horse, Rudolf, which kept her calm and having her parents close by helped in what was a very scary experience for a child.”
Ellen said she was also grateful for the ‘amazing care’ of the children’s ward, radiology and physiotherapy departments, and the wound care nurses who nursed Paige through 103 days of dressing changes.
Ellen saved her final praise for occupational therapists (OTs) Tegan Olsen and Kady Delle Baite.
“These two women have been nothing short of extraordinary,” she said.
“Paige found comfort and inspiration in them, and now dreams of becoming an OT herself.”
Tegan said Paige was ‘an absolute sweetheart’ who did everything asked of her.
“Working as OTs with children our job is to build a rapport, understand what they like to do, offer distraction therapy, and build in some fun as they undergo care,” she said.
“We did a lot of dancing and talking about horses with Paige.
“And we also worked with her in managing her compression bandages, scar massage, and getting her back to her childhood occupations of school and pony club.
“Paige is an old soul, she can be sassy, and we adore her.”
Paige said her visits to the hospital meant the chance to talk about Rudolf with the nurses and doctors and play Nintendo with Kady and Tegan.
“I won the Super Mario races and set the highest score,” she said.
Inspired by her care team to be an OT, Paige’s mum has been equally motivated.
“I was so moved by Paige’s experience that I enrolled in a Diploma of Nursing while still sitting by her hospital bed,” Ellen said.
“I’m now nearly a year in and plan to continue onto a Bachelor of Nursing or Paramedic Science.”
Mrs Gillman said words could not fully capture the depth of her family’s gratitude towards TUH.
“The care we received not only helped heal our daughter but also changed the course of our lives,” she said.
Health service chief executive Kieran Keyes said receiving Mrs Gillman’s feedback was incredibly gratifying.
“When I receive feedback like I did about Paige’s care, I’m reminded of the brilliance, dedication, and compassion of our staff,” he said.
“Everyone at TUH is delighted to see Paige fully recovered and we’d love to see her back here as an OT one day.”