Transporting sick children during a medical emergency takes a special team and one such team is celebrating 30 years of saving lives.
The Pediatric and Neonatal Specialty Transport services at Children’s Health celebrated its 30th year of specialized transport services by air and land for infants, children, and high-risk obstetrical patients.
Staffed with a dedicated critical care team 24 hours a day, transport services coordinates all aspects of transfers and transports.
This is the team that helped evacuate the babies from the NICU in Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi ahead of Hurricane Harvey.
"It's literally like spinning a wheel. You never know what you're gonna do in a 12-hour shift and you answer the page, you answer the call," said paramedic Nicolas Lucia.
They travel across the country, picking up children from scenes of horrific accidents or other medical facilities to bring them to Dallas or Plano for care.
They're also in charge of moving the most fragile patients for delicate procedures or surgeries.
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"We are able to go out and provide really cutting edge care to these kids and get them back to Dallas safely," said registered nurse Brandon Gardner.
Comprised of more than 90 professionals, the team transports more than 7,800 patients every year with their numerous ambulances, helicopter and even a jet, kept at a hangar at Dallas Love Field.
Members work in 12-hour shifts, and they say every day is different. Even veteran members of the team, however, say they never take their role for granted.
"The parents of a critically ill patient will literally, willingly, hand you their baby to whisk them off to Dallas in the hopes that the next time they see them, they're going to be somewhat better. It's humbling. It's an honor and we try to live up to that," said Lucia.
