On Halloween week 2023, Evie finally returned home after spending over 100 days in hospital.
At 14, Evie is full of beans. She loves going to the park, chatting to everyone she meets and – her favourite thing - blowing bubbles.
In July 2023, Evie, who has Down’s Syndrome, developed severe respiratory disease – sometimes known as Paraflu - within 48 hours of developing a simple cold. She went downhill quickly. The PANDR service (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) which provides emergency transport for critically ill children rushed her to hospital. So poorly that no one expected her to survive, Evie’s family spent the summer holidays back and forth between home in Essex and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, something mum Sara describes as “traumatic”.
Despite being in a coma, Evie’s physiotherapy started straight away. When she moved into the High Dependency Unit, the therapy became more physical. The team integrated Evie’s favourite hobbies - boxing and rugby - into her exercises. This also acted as a memory test to see if Evie’s brain had been affected. Thankfully, it hadn’t.
You know, when they're babies, they do their first step, their first walk. It goes so quick. You don't remember half of it. I feel like we got to do every single one of her firsts all over again.
Sara Evans, Evie's mum
Evie, who is scared of heights, had been lying down for so long that sitting up and then standing was terrifying for her. Boxing helped get her arms moving, clear her chest and strengthen her core and upper body.
I had to have confidence. Sitting up straight and hugging mummy. Poppy the [therapy] dog was so cute. She was adorable. I threw a ball with her in different directions.
Evie, age 14
Progress was slow. Evie had to relearn everything: how to hold her head up properly; how to sit for an extended period of time; how to go from wheelchair to bench; how to stand and then to walk. Once she could do five steps with a frame, she could go home.
What people don't realise is when someone's been that poorly, it’s not like on films when they wake up and everything's fine. It never ever crosses your mind that you're going to have to rebuild your entire life from scratch.
Sara, Evie's mum
Evie’s rehabilitation took place in the hospital gyms, which were also used by adults. Cambridge Children’s Hospital will have therapy spaces specifically designed for children and young people. There will be outdoor space nearby, giving much-needed opportunities to take a breather in the fresh air.
It was so painful for Evie and very distressing for us to see her. Sometimes you just needed to take a break away from it after you’d done a session. It’s mentally and physically draining for everyone.
Sara, Evie's mum
As Evie’s hospital care continued, her mum and dad stayed at Acorn House (opens in a new tab), accommodation for families a stone’s throw from the hospital. This helped them juggle family life, doing three-night shifts on rotation between home and hospital.
Cambridge Children’s Hospital is being developed with the ethos of keeping children ‘closer to home’, getting them back to their local communities as soon as possible. While in hospital, Evie’s parents received training in how to manage her care. They had an overnight stay prior to returning home, just to check they were ready. An occupational therapist visited to ensure everything was in place for a smooth transition.
Sara remembers the neighbours cheering and clapping as Evie was wheeled back to her house. The first few days were a huge readjustment, having to do the medication, feeding and physio that had been done in hospital.
A year on, the only outward sign of Evie’s devastating illness is a nasal tube to help her drink, but even this challenge is getting easier. The teenager is loving being back with her sisters, enjoying school and thriving.
It took a little while to kind of get into a routine, but it was just such a relief to all be under the same roof again and you just felt like – peace. We’re home.
Sara
In November 2024, Evie and her family were excited to see her supersized photo on the Cambridge Children’s Hospital hoardings, put up along the front of the future construction site opposite the Rosie Hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. This larger-than-life milestone represents just how far Evie has come since she left hospital.
