'It was touch and go': Blood Bike South ride to the rescue for Cork mother and daughter

Freya's daughter Arabella was born with a rare heart defect resulting in her needing open heart surgery. The newborn was taken from Cork to a hospital in Dublin which was where Blood Bike South transported vital breast milk as she awaited the operation

Freya and Arabella O'Sullivan on one of the motorcycles from Blood Bikes South who delivered Freya'a breast milk to a hospital in Dublin to help Arabella prepare for heart surgery while she was still just an infant. Picture: David Creedon

A toddler has been reunited with the bikers who played a role in saving her life by transporting vital breast milk from Cork to Dublin as she was waiting to undergo major heart surgery.

More than two years after the successful operation, mum Freya O’Sullivan says she will be eternally thankful to the volunteers of Blood Bike South who transport everything from urine samples to spinal fluids for hospitals throughout the country.

She was full of gratitude when meeting the team once again outside their base at St Finbarr’s Hospital on Douglas Road, Cork City.

Freya, who has been raising her now three-year-old daughter Arabella single handedly from birth, said the bikers came through for her during what she described as a “touch and go” situation.

The 28-year-old said that Arabella had been fighting for her life from the time she was born due to a rare heart defect — double outlet right ventricle (DORV) with vsd and pulmonary atresia. The condition disinhibited the flow of blood to the little girl’s lungs resulting in her needing open heart surgery.

However, as a premature baby born at 31 weeks, she was too tiny to operate on in the initial stages. Breast milk was instrumental in helping her to build up sufficient strength to undergo the surgery.

Volunteers of Blood Bike South regularly travelled to Arabella’s mum’s house in Cork City to collect Freya’s breast milk while she recovered from a C-section.

Freya and Arabella O'Sullivan with Blood Bikes South volunteers, (left to right) Kevin O'Connor, Ken Cullan, Richie Ballard, Alfons Peeters, Billy Cahill, Ann Cronin and Tony O'Brien. Picture: David Creedon

“My supply wasn’t great so they would bring whatever they could to the hospital in Dublin who would then top this up with donated breast milk,” Freya explained. “Arabella was able to have her first surgery so it looks like it got her to where she needs to be.” 

With her only other family living in West Cork, Freya had little support aside from the remarkable motorcyclists who came to their rescue.

“I was only 24 when I had Arabella. I have no siblings and my mum was working at the time so she could only come to me on her days off. It was great to know that I could call on the blood bikes if I needed them. 

They were so nice and offered to take care of any anything I needed. It wasn’t just breast milk they were willing to transport. 

"They told me that anything I needed — even if that was just a spare change of clothes — could be brought to the hospital.” 

She cast her mind back to that stressful period.

“I had a very high-risk pregnancy but I didn’t know that Arabella had a heart defect until hours after she was born. It was very touch and go. I didn’t know whether she was going to survive or not because she was so small. 

"There wasn’t anything immediate that they could do but I met with the cardiologists after she was taken to Crumlin. They were able to give her a drug to help and give her time to put on weight and grow stronger. 

"During that time the blood bikes were able to transport breast milk which the Coombe and Crumlin hospitals both recommended over anything else. 

"When I went home they would transport the breast milk to Crumlin for me. She was in the Coombe for about five weeks before being transferred to Crumlin. 

She got really sick and had to be revived twice and have emergency surgery. It was a fairly long time to be away from home.

Freya will never forget how the charity helped them in their time of need.

“I didn't know whether I was going to be up in Crumlin or dividing my time between Cork and Dublin. Blood Bikes helped me for six weeks and we have kept in contact since. 

"I send them updated photos of Arabella all the time. They check in every so often too just to see how we are getting on. She is too young to understand now but I’ll be telling her all about the blood bikes as she gets older. 

"I want to let her know who helped her when she really needed it. I'd say the volunteers wonder where half these kids go when they are discharged so it’s nice to keep them updated.” 

The mother and daughter have come a long way since Arabella’s surgery.

“Arabella will need continuous monitoring for the rest of her life. She is developmentally delayed and has a lot of appointments such as physio and occupational therapy. 

She will need more surgery throughout her life and while she is healthy for now it is continuous. 

"At the moment she is happy. She loves singing and dancing. She never stops singing. Arabella is very bright.” 

She hopes that as many parents as possible can avail of the service.

“There are a lot of parents with children in hospital who also have other kids at home. It means they can’t normally be with the child who is sick every day.

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"I can see how the Blood Bikes would be a huge help to them. Any time I’m speaking to a parent who is stressed about these kind of things I always recommend the Blood Bikes. 

"Many people believe that all Blood Bikes do is transport blood but they are so much more than that. It’s there for everyone.” 

To find out more or to donate to Blood Bike South visit www.bloodbikesouth.ie.