After 18 hours of labour, staff realised baby Esme’s heart rate was starting to drop rapidly.
During an emergency caesarean at the Wodonga Hospital, they discovered the placenta had detached and Esme was not breathing.
‘‘They’re not sure how long she had been not breathing, but they spent five minutes performing CPR on her, followed by ventilation,’’ Nathan said.
‘‘It spent another 3 1/2 hours stabilising her, bringing her body temperature down.
‘‘Once she was stabilised she was sent straight off to Sydney.’’
Esme was transferred to Sydney with just a medical team, her worried parents following her there a few days later.
And after an agonising wait of almost a week, the Mackays received some good news about their daughter’s condition Thursday last week.
‘‘We found out that all her organs and her brain were functioning as they should be,’’ Nathan said.
‘‘The team in Sydney told us that if it had not been for the actions of the team in Wodonga, Esme would never have survived.’’
While the medical teams are not certain how Esme’s birth became so traumatic, Nathan said they believe it started with an umbilical cord around her leg.
As her leg moved, it may have caused the placenta to become detached.
When relating the ordeal to family and friends, Nathan said he wanted to show appreciation for the Wodonga Hospital’s maternity unit. But he was unsure how.
That’s when his friend Jamie Haynes — owner of Tocumwal’s Trigger Performance Gym — offered to put his body on the line and raise funds to support the unit and other families in similar situations.
‘‘When Nathan rang me on the Saturday (the day after the birth), I said I would do whatever I could to help,’’ Jamie said.
‘‘I’ve committed to doing what they call the 4x4x48.
‘‘I will run four miles, or 6.5km, every four hours over a period of 48 hours.
‘‘It is about raising funds for the ward that helped Nath and Jac, and so many other parents.
‘‘The Wodonga maternity ward has not only brought life to Esme, but, a daughter, a little sister and a complete family.
‘‘The compassion, support and continued support they have offered Esme’s parents has been life changing, and not unnoticed.’’
Jamie’s first run will be at 6am on Thursday, March 31, and the last will be at 6am on Saturday, April 2.
During the challenge, he’ll be sleeping in a tent on the old Tocumwal bowling greens next to his gym.
Jamie would generally complete a 6.5km run in 30 to 35 minutes.
And while he’s conditioned for long distance running and triathlons, he says fatigue and sleep deprivation may catch up with him in the second 24 hours of the challenge.
‘‘It’s not as much to endure as families who have gone through what Nath and Jac have,’’ he said.
‘‘Ever since I posted about my challenge on social media, the support from the community has been amazing.
‘‘I would love for people to join me if they can — there’s still time to get involved.’’
It’s unclear whether the Mackays will be back in the Southern Riverina in time to see their friend take on the challenge.
Transferred back to Wodonga from Sydney on Monday, there is no set date for when they will be allowed to return home to Finley to start their life as a family of four with daughter Letty — who is almost three.
Nathan said Esme will continue to be monitored by the team at Wodonga until they are confident she can go home.
And after that, she will require check ups every few months, for at least the first 12 months.
The regular medical appointments will allow for doctors to identify any lasting concerns as a result of her troublesome birth.
You can contribute to the Effort for Esme fundraiser by donating in to the Esme Fund — BSB: 082356 Account number: 248994395.
Effort for Esme t-shirts are also available, at https://fitprint.com.au/store/?username=triggerperformance&task=store.
