Please briefly describe your clinical/medical experience to date?
I have the honour and privilege to be a consultant neonatologist (a paediatrician that cares for newborn and preterm babies) for the NHS with 13 years experience, with sub-specialty interests in transporting the most sick and vulnerable babies for specialist care and in research to improve the outcomes of children and their families. This is on the back of 5 years at medical school, 1 year as a preregistration doctor and 15 years of postgraduate medical and research training in paediatrics, later specialising in newborn care, the transport of sick children and babies and research and teaching in these areas. I train students in medicine, nursing and midwifery as well as their postgraduate counterparts in my specialist areas. I have unique opportunities to develop and train the future workforce in newborn and child care and medicine, to feel confident that the children of our children can expect collaborative and compassionate high quality and safe care.
What motivated you to enter paediatric care in the first place?
I will never forget a moment at medical school during an obstetric (pregnancy and childbirth medicine) placement when I delivered a baby that unexpectedly did not show signs of life at birth. Within moments a team of paediatric doctors burst into the room, and within a remarkably short time presented a screaming and healthy baby to the mother. I had never seen anything like it. There were lots of tears of joy, everywhere. I thought that would be an incredible skill set to develop, and the value to families immeasurable. During paediatric placements I was awe inspired by the bravery and determination of sick children and their families, whilst being fascinated with the unique conditions and even more unique need to figure out how to treat children and train parents to help them. Paediatrics is a specialty of amazing science and incredible humanity and humility. During undergraduate research training I was randomly allocated a project studying fetal development. A pattern started to form around me, and a soon as I had finished my compulsory postgraduate pre registration year, I threw myself into paediatric training. And I was hooked. And will forever be.
How will the funding from The Evie Dove Foundation help you to advance your career and your impact/services to children?
Through the Evie Dove foundation I have opportunities to support the next generation in research to further improvements in the outcomes for children and their families – ensuring that high quality, safe and compassionate care can continue to evolve. I can take a team of 3 highly passionate and motivated student doctors to a major international conference, the 6th Joint European neonatal societies meeting in Belgrade, Serbia and supervise and support them in presenting 2 research projects in neonatal and paediatric transport medicine. This improves the reputations of the KIDSNTS transport service based at the Birmingham women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation trust, the University of Birmingham Medical School, and of my own personal senior research career. More importantly, the work we present provides evidence to improve the safety of transported vulnerable sick babies and their families as well as improve clinical standards and outcomes in critical conditions like gastroschisis (a condition where a baby is born with a gap in the tummy and their bowels sit outside the body – which can lose their blood supply within hours of birth and need expert surgical care within a short time, regardless of where the child is born).
How did you find out about The Evie Dove Foundation?
I heard about the Evie Dove Foundation through the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Charity. After studying the website, I was inspired by Evie’s story – and was honoured to become a Hero!
Tell us about yourself!
As a proud Grandfather, father and husband I can be heard playing one of my saxophones during my free time. I even have a digital one I can play into my headphones during international travel!
Anything else you would like to tell us about your experience, future aspirations and motivations?
Whenever I am asked how I am, my standard answer is that I am living the dream. I know of no other job where I can use my hands and save the life of a newborn so that they can have 80+ years of high quality life. Where I can see parents praying for their tiny premature baby to survive for months on end, and not only share in the joy of going home, but become life long friends. I am now old enough to look after the babies of babies who’s life I saved 20 years ago. I get to wizz around in ambulances at 80+ miles an hour, rushing a baby for emergency surgery or critical care. I see the highest highs and lowest lows of parents lives. I get to influence the last moments of the lives of some incredibly brave babies and ease the journey for them and their families. I train students and postgraduates in my specialty areas across their whole careers. I work with incredible Multidisciplinary teams, with every member committed to improve the experience and care of children and families. I push the boundaries of care and science. I could retire tomorrow and have enough stories to make me smile and cry until the end of my days. But I can do more, and I have the skills to do that. And I can train the next generation to do more than I can dream. I aspire to engage in larger research projects, whilst training others to develop their skills.
