Footballer Rory McAllister and family grateful to hospital staff who saved son Noel during brave pneumonia battle

THREE-YEAR-OLD Noel McAllister’s smile would melt a million hearts.

He’s the world to his doting parents, footballer Rory McAllister and his wife Ashley.

However, just weeks ago the toddler was fighting for his life after being struck down by flu and then pneumonia.

His battle to survive took his family on a terrifying emotional rollercoaster.

Ashley, 32, a business travel consultant, revealed that Noel first became ill on the evening of January 1 with a tummy ache.

“We thought he had eaten too many sweeties on New Year’s Day and they had made him sick,” Ashley explained.

“He didn’t improve the next day and by January 3, his breathing became laboured. He also had a cough, fever and was lethargic.

“Our GP suggested Noel had a flu bug and asked us to keep an eye on him. He would probably improve in a few days.

“He got worse and we were starting to worry so we returned to our GP. Our energetic, lively wee boy had no energy at all and we were worried.

“We were sent to Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital as Noel was lethargic, breathing badly and his cough was worse.

“He was given throat swabs but no x-ray. The doctor said it was a virus and told us to continue with paracetamol and Ibuprofen.

“He failed to progress and we returned to our GP who told us to take Noel back to hospital.

“There, doctors put him on a drip. An x-ray revealed both his lungs had pneumonia and his left one was almost covered.

“He was transferred to the hospital’s High Dependency unit and Rory and I could only watch as he lay there looking lifeless but fighting to survive.

“Everything was being done to save him but his little body was having to endure a huge infection which had gripped hold of him.”

The poorly toddler was given an ultra-sound scan to reveal the extent of the pneumonia.

A chest drain was inserted to take away fluids in his chest cavity and lungs. Almost two pints of fluid were taken away.

Peterhead FC striker Rory, 30, explained: “Doctors told us they needed to operate on Noel’s lung to peel away the infection.

“We were told he had empyema, a collection of infection in the lung cavity caused by bacteria. They would need to operate to peel this away and surgery was the only way to remove it.

“Watching Noel go off to theatre was awful.”

With the op completed the surgeon, anaesthetist and nurse approached the young couple.

“There was a long pause before the surgeon spoke,” Ashley said. “He explained that he had opened Noel and he was worse than he expected.

“When they operated, they found his lower left lobe had a severely infected abscess which they cut away.

“A tear at the top of one lung was repaired and two chest drains inserted to clear fluid.

“But his lungs were the worse they had seen.

“Noel was still anaesthetised and needed to be transferred to Edinburgh or Glasgow Children’s Hospital for highly specialised ITU.

“Rory and I were heartbroken over what our beautiful boy was going through.”

Noel was then flown by air ambulance to Edinburgh.

The couple’s next 17 days were spent either by Noel’s bedside – willing their child to live.

In time, Noel recovered well enough to be transferred back to Aberdeen’s children’s hospital.

His antibiotic line came out and he had to be taken to theatre to have it reinserted.

And while he had won his battle to survive, his little body was thin and weary.

“His wee legs looked like poles as he struggled to walk,” Ashley said.

“He had been tube-fed but needed to gain weight and strength again.”

As each day passed his appetite improved, as did his confidence.

Ashley and Rory were able to take him home from hospital but within a few days he developed chickenpox.

The following week his breathing became laboured again.

The pneumonia had returned to his right lung an x-ray showed.

“We wondered how much he could cope with,” Rory said.

“Doctors ordered a daily infusion of intravenous antibiotics and they cleared it.”

Now back in their Aberdeen family home, Noel is thriving.

Ashley smiled and said: “We would not have made it without the great surgeon, doctors, nurses, High Dependency staff, family, friends, employers, air ambulance staff and everyone who supported us.

“We can’t thank them enough.”