Ben Ryder is no stranger to hospitals and surgery. Born with a congenital heart block disorder, Ben was flown to Starship for emergency care when he was less than a day old and had surgery when he was three to have a pacemaker fitted.
Fast forward eight years and young Ben is your typically active boy who loves sports. In fact, the day before he was due into his local hospital in Christchurch for a routine check on his pacemaker, Ben finished second in his school’s cross country race.
But during this checkup the next day, doctors discovered his pacemaker was malfunctioning. The only solution was an urgent operation to install a new one.
The Starship National Air Ambulance Service was quickly dispatched to pick Ben up from Christchurch and fly him to Starship (over 1,000 km). Ben was brave during the flight. “There were lights and cords and people everywhere. The most exciting part was taking off in the plane with earmuffs on and being able to hear what the crew were saying. When we landed in Auckland, there was an ambulance there to meet us. It was really dark and a bit like a movie,” he said.
On arrival at Starship, Ben was quickly prepped for surgery to receive a pacemaker with more up-to-date functions, including the ability to raise his heartbeat while exercising. His operation went really smoothly and he spent a few more days recovering before being flown back to Christchurch to be reunited with the rest of his family.
“The level of care Ben and our family received at Starship Hospital was out of this world,” said Ben’s dad, Guy. After having the new pacemaker fitted, “Ben played his first full game of football and managed to score four goals,” he said.
Leave a Reply