0:00:02 > 0:00:05Glasgow's skyline has changed.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Four of the city's oldest hospitals have closed their doors.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13And Scotland's biggest and most talked about hospital
0:00:13 > 0:00:14has taken over.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17- My name's Davey, I'm going to take you for a wee X-ray, OK?- Yeah.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Three-quarters-of-a-million patients are treated here every year
0:00:22 > 0:00:25using state-of-the-art technology...
0:00:25 > 0:00:28I've got the manoeuvrability down there with the robot.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31..cutting-edge operations
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and world-class scientific research.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37What he said, it had been grown in a laboratory in America.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39I'm going to be one of the first.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41- That's quite good! - HE CHUCKLES
0:00:41 > 0:00:43This massive building
0:00:43 > 0:00:46is transforming health care in Scotland.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47'There's nowhere else in Scotland
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'that could have done everything that we've done.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53But is big necessarily better?
0:00:53 > 0:00:57I think, on average, we walk about 20 miles a day, which is a lot.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02I'm in an airport or I'm in a hotel. It's a cross between the two.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04And in a hospital this size,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08are they in danger of losing the human touch?
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Can you hear me?
0:01:09 > 0:01:12You could go how home irredeemably mad
0:01:12 > 0:01:13if you spent all your time in a single room.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15HE SCREAMS
0:01:15 > 0:01:19'It's all technology in here now. I don't like it at all.'
0:01:19 > 0:01:21'The hospital is absolutely wonderful.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:23The staff can't be praised high enough.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24Fantastic.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38INDISTINCT CONVERSATION ON WALKIE-TALKIE
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Helipad is open, so standing by.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48The Emergency Department in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
0:01:48 > 0:01:51in Glasgow is the most modern in Scotland.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59Over 110,000 new patients are seen here every year.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Some arrive by helicopter from as far north as Skye.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11It's the first hospital in Scotland to have a rooftop helipad.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Delivering patients this close to the Emergency Department
0:02:16 > 0:02:19saves up to 15 minutes' transfer time.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Cutting time saves lives.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Today, the Scottish Air Ambulance has made the 36-mile flight
0:02:31 > 0:02:33from Loch Fyne.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Onboard is a casualty who was cut free
0:02:35 > 0:02:38from a head-on collision with a lorry one hour ago.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44News from the air ambulance is that the patient is critically ill.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51He has been incredibly unstable in-flight.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Needing a lot of drugs, a lot of blood.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00The helipad has a dedicated rapid-access lift.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It can transfer a patient from the helicopter
0:03:02 > 0:03:07direct into the heart of the Emergency Department within minutes.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09This is George Marron.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12He's 34, was driving a small hatchback,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15has collided with an HGV.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16Massive damage to both vehicles.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20I really didn't know whether or not the patient was going to be
0:03:20 > 0:03:23still alive in the back of the helicopter
0:03:23 > 0:03:26and what to expect when he arrived in a resuscitation room.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Grand, shall we get him across?
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Two, three.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35'My heart was pounding very fast.'
0:03:35 > 0:03:37There's a bit of an exhilaration as well.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40This is why we specialise in emergency medicine.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'But there's a human in you that's just scared for the patient as well.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47'You just don't know how they're going to be when they arrive.'
0:03:48 > 0:03:50So, he's been in the driver's seat.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The whole dashboard has come back with the force of the impact,
0:03:53 > 0:03:54and the car has spun.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55And his legs were trapped,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59and he was trapped or pinned by the steering wheel into his chest.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01So the Fire Service are having to do a fairly prolonged
0:04:01 > 0:04:04extrication to create space to then take the roof off,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06cut through the pillars and get him out.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08In the end, what they did was create enough space
0:04:08 > 0:04:11that we could just...what we call a crash extrication
0:04:11 > 0:04:13because he was deteriorating in front of us.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I was glad he was still alive.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18He was that unstable.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24OK, a quick primary survey when everyone's ready.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28A team of 12 trauma specialists are on hand
0:04:28 > 0:04:31to deal with George's multiple injuries.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32OK.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35'When trauma patients arrive in hospital,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38'it's a little bit like the Pied Piper.'
0:04:38 > 0:04:40It can become quite crowded.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42The resus bays are fairly spacious,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45but once you've got a patient and equipment around about them,
0:04:45 > 0:04:4712 people, it's an awful lot.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51As soon as you're clear, can we step away?
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Too many people.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58However, the team are excellent.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00We allocate roles at the very beginning
0:05:00 > 0:05:02before the patient arrives.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Everyone has a very clear idea of what they are expected to do
0:05:06 > 0:05:08during the trauma.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13As sick people go,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16he's up at an eight or nine or a ten at the moment.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So, he has got a head and face injury, presume the neck.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Penetrating injury to the right chest from dashboard glass.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24He had a thoracoscopy of his right chest at the scene
0:05:24 > 0:05:27with concerns that there was bowel palpable within the chest wall.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Possible diaphragmatic injury.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34He's got a shortened right leg and a significantly swollen right thigh.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38There's a small puncture in the lateral aspect of his thigh
0:05:38 > 0:05:39which I presume is open.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43- He's going to get a CT scan down to his legs.- Sure.- OK?
0:05:45 > 0:05:50The scan in the next hour will decide which way he's going to go.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53When somebody's as unstable as this,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55moving him anywhere at any time is a risk,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57so you've got to weigh up the risks
0:05:57 > 0:06:00to whether further imaging is a benefit.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- And it's one of those decisions that you've got to...- I'm sorry.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Moving George is dangerous.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12But a scan is the best way to find out the severity of his injuries.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21The adult hospital and the hospital for children
0:06:21 > 0:06:23stand side-by-side on one campus,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26bringing all the specialisms together.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34But teenagers with cancer fall between the two -
0:06:34 > 0:06:38no longer children and not yet adults.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43So the superhospital has a specially designed teenage ward.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The Teenage Cancer Trust unit is the largest in Scotland
0:06:48 > 0:06:52and is a home-from-home with everything a teenager needs.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59Around 20 teenagers aged between 13 and 19 from all over Scotland
0:06:59 > 0:07:01are treated here each year.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03HE EXHALES
0:07:05 > 0:07:0918-year-old Connor has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
0:07:09 > 0:07:11and is receiving intensive chemotherapy.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Connor was first diagnosed with cancer when he was 12,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20so it's a huge blow the cancer has returned.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I had a couple of years clear where I was getting back to normal,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29trying to go to college and see my friends
0:07:29 > 0:07:32and just get back to a normal life that I would have had
0:07:32 > 0:07:34if I didn't have cancer.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39But then, just shortly after my 18th, it just came back.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44That was a good shot.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Connor is in chronic pain from his first chemotherapy treatment.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51So he knows more will be tough.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57It's kind of upsetting because I've not got a lot of family
0:07:57 > 0:08:03so I feel like I'm putting them in a tricky situation,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07even though they always say it's not my fault but
0:08:07 > 0:08:11I do feel like it's my fault some of the time because
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I've ended up getting this again.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Angela, Connor's mum,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27has given up her job to be with him every step of the way.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It was horrific when he got the news.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Just to realise he had gone back the way when he had spent
0:08:34 > 0:08:38so much of his time building up that life for himself again.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39And just at the time of being 18
0:08:39 > 0:08:41when you should be going out with your friends.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45You should be going on holiday to Ibiza with your friends.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47All of that was taken away, again,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51to be told that he would have to go through it again.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57To get the cancer back into remission,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Connor's been in and out of the teenage cancer unit for treatment.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I'm pretty sure you're supposed to take your medication with water! Oh!
0:09:07 > 0:09:11An 18-year-old does not want to spend 24 hours, seven days a week,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13with his mother.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15As much as I love my child,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17I don't want to spend 24 hours a day,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20seven days a week with my child.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22MACHINE BEEPING
0:09:24 > 0:09:29When I'm having a really, really down day
0:09:29 > 0:09:31he will pick me right back up.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33And I'll look at him I'll think,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35"Well, it's not happened to me, it's happened to you,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38"and if you can do it, so can I."
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I'm kind of falling now.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42You're sliding!
0:09:45 > 0:09:47The first time Connor had cancer, he was a child
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and had no choice about his treatment.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53But now he's 18 so he can be in control
0:09:53 > 0:09:57and he has a choice between two treatment options.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Consultant Nick Heaney is a teenage cancer specialist
0:10:01 > 0:10:03and is experienced in working with young people
0:10:03 > 0:10:05with teenage priorities.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Connor is faced with this really difficult decision.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Does he remain on maintenance chemotherapy,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16which would be against our advice because we're too worried
0:10:16 > 0:10:19that with that approach his leukaemia will come back again.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Or does he take the recommended option,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24which is to have a stem-cell transplant,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28but in doing that he's going to separate himself
0:10:28 > 0:10:30away from the life that he'd just got back again.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Although the stem-cell transplant is the best chance of a cure,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Connor is resistant to the idea.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It's a complex and difficult treatment
0:10:47 > 0:10:50with weeks in isolation to protect him from infection
0:10:50 > 0:10:53which would mean he'd have to put his life on hold.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59The stem-cell transplant can also have life-threatening side effects.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02'I think Connor is very frightened
0:11:02 > 0:11:05'about getting a stem-cell transplant.'
0:11:05 > 0:11:08It's dangerous from the point of view that we do know that
0:11:08 > 0:11:11some people that undergo stem-cell transplants don't survive it
0:11:11 > 0:11:16either because of the complications such as infection,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18maybe because of the side effects,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20the damage to other parts of their body,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22or because, unfortunately, it doesn't work
0:11:22 > 0:11:24and their leukaemia just comes back.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- Hiya.- Hi.- Hi, Connor, hiya.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32As the stakes are so high,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Nick Heaney wants to make sure Connor fully understands
0:11:35 > 0:11:38the consequences of his decision.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41All I can say is that we believe that the risks are higher
0:11:41 > 0:11:47of it coming back if we do not perform a stem-cell transplant.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It's likely at times you will not feel good,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53you will feel unwell and there might be complications from it.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57But it's been done with the intention of, you know,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01taking the leukaemia away and this time keeping it away.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06There's still no guarantee that it will stay away, though.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- There's still a chance it could come back.- It's a really good point.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I guess that's what makes your decision hard
0:12:12 > 0:12:14because we're not saying, "Go through this
0:12:14 > 0:12:19"and we sort of guarantee you will be cured." We can't do that.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21There are some people that go through
0:12:21 > 0:12:24all these difficult decisions, this difficult process,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and unfortunately it does come back.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29People are always saying, "Think to the future."
0:12:29 > 0:12:31I don't like thinking to the future
0:12:31 > 0:12:33because I might not be here in the future.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Something could happen,
0:12:35 > 0:12:41so I want to go to college and live my life in the now,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44so that's why I'm more worried about college just now
0:12:44 > 0:12:47than I am of the future.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53An agonising decision to make and on such young shoulders.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04It's been three-and-a-half hours since George was critically injured
0:13:04 > 0:13:06in a head-on collision with a lorry.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10It took just 15 minutes to fly him
0:13:10 > 0:13:13the 36 miles to the Emergency Department.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16The trauma team have now stabilised him enough
0:13:16 > 0:13:20to risk moving him to the full-body CT scanner just next door.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25'As a team, we decided there was no risk here.'
0:13:25 > 0:13:28We were pretty confident that we had stabilised the patient enough,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32that we had an opportunity to take George to the CT scanner.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Within the medical profession,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38we call the CT scanner "the doughnut of death"
0:13:38 > 0:13:40and that's because it is an area where
0:13:40 > 0:13:42you can't be beside the patient.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44The patient is then in a room, fully monitored,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46however you are not with them.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The trauma team from around the hospital have gathered.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54General surgery, anaesthetics, neurosurgery,
0:13:54 > 0:13:58intensive care and orthopaedics are all on standby.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Everyone wants to see the scans as they happen
0:14:01 > 0:14:05so we can make quite rapid decisions about where to proceed next,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07whether or not he needs to go immediately to theatre,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10whether or not he needs to go directly to intensive care.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14First, they must establish if George has any brain damage.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20'We can see the images appearing as they happen.'
0:14:21 > 0:14:24I was very happy to see that George's CT of his head,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27which was the first scan that was done, looked normal to me.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30That was incredibly reassuring at that stage
0:14:30 > 0:14:32given his reduced conscious state.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38The scans also reveal George's chest and abdominal injuries
0:14:38 > 0:14:40don't need emergency surgery.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45But he has significant fractures down his right side
0:14:45 > 0:14:49which must be stabilised until they can be operated on in the morning.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Until George is awake,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54they won't know if the trauma to his spine
0:14:54 > 0:14:57has caused serious damage to his spinal cord.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Before we start plastering and doing stuff like that,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06kind of let the partner in really quickly to see him...
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Just to come in even for five minutes just to
0:15:08 > 0:15:12reassure herself that he is alive and well.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26George's partner Elaine arrived from Dunoon two hours ago.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Only now is he stable enough for her to see him.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42I would say he's really lucky to have survived.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46For him to have come out of this with his life still intact is
0:15:46 > 0:15:48nothing short of a miracle, so, yeah,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52he's a very lucky man to be alive.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Right now I think we're all very happy that we've got this far
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and he's as stable as he is.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04But until he comes round they won't know if
0:16:04 > 0:16:07he has a spinal injury that will leave him paralysed.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21The Queen Elizabeth treats around 750,000 patients a year.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24It's packed with the most up-to-date facilities,
0:16:24 > 0:16:29self-service check-ins and even robots to do the heavy work.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34But moving patients around the hospital is the responsibility
0:16:34 > 0:16:37of an army of 220 porters, like Davey.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39All right, Danny boy?
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- All right, Davey? - How you doing, son?
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- My name's Davey, I'm going to take you for a wee X-ray, OK?- Yeah.- OK.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Hello, Porters.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Janice is one of the supervisors who allocate the jobs as they
0:16:52 > 0:16:55come in to Porter HQ.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56Hi, Janice.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Davey, I've got 11D going to...
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Hi, there, have you got specimens going to the labs here?
0:17:02 > 0:17:06- Yeah, that's the specimens there. - Thanks very much.
0:17:06 > 0:17:12With 12 floors and 90 wards, all linked by 127 corridors,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15the porters need to go the extra mile.
0:17:15 > 0:17:21I think, in the average, a porter would maybe walk about ten, 20 miles a day. Which is a lot.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Specimens there, pal.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Cheers. Thanks a lot.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34Davey, I've got a BTM from 7...B, for bravo.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41The worst part of the job is a BTM, which is a body to mortuary.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45I'm going to come and give you a hand because we're a bit busy just now.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48No porter likes doing that but we've got to do it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Somebody's got to do it.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The city mortuary has been custom-built
0:17:55 > 0:17:58in the underbelly of the new hospital.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02It's the biggest and busiest in the UK,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06receiving around 200 bodies from the hospital every month.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10- Wee bit sad, you know.- Yeah.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15You're taking a person to their place of rest, you know, it's... it's sad.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25Davey, I've got a patient at the U5...
0:18:26 > 0:18:30'For me, the best part of the job is patient transfers.'
0:18:30 > 0:18:36- I'm Davey, William, we're going up to room...ward 11C. OK?- OK.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39They're no' in here for nothing, you know. The people in here are ill.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42'So you try and kind of relax them and that, you know.'
0:18:42 > 0:18:44What are you smiling at?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Ask them did they like Coronation Street.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49- No, I hate it.- You hate it?
0:18:49 > 0:18:51That's...
0:18:51 > 0:18:55It's that kind of banter you get, you know, with the patients.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58And if you dae that, you know, you feel a bit better,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00you feel good, you know.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01Definitely dae.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Thank you, see you later.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Connor has been in the teenage cancer unit for the past week.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Tonight he's having a break from treatment.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25He has invited some pals over
0:19:25 > 0:19:28to make use of one of the hospital's unique features.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33It's the only hospital in Scotland with its own cinema.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39It gives patients like Connor a few hours' escape from hospital life.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42It is actually pretty cool, it is, this.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Sean and Liam, they're probably my best friends at the moment
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and they've backed me up throughout the whole way.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49THEY LAUGH
0:19:49 > 0:19:51They continue to support me.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58And if you've got what I've got you can't go anywhere,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00you need to watch your counts.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04So I'm not allowed to go to normal cinemas because people can
0:20:04 > 0:20:07be coughing or the seats aren't washed or that,
0:20:07 > 0:20:08so I can get not well.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12But if you've got somewhere like this, then it makes a big difference,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15where you can actually get your pals and go and watch a film.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17THEY LAUGH
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Aye, right.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Soon Connor is back on the ward and having chemotherapy.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35And he's wrestling with the biggest decision of his life...
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Can I get you anything?
0:20:37 > 0:20:39No.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42..whether to agree to the intensive stem-cell transplant that
0:20:42 > 0:20:45might cure him but would disrupt his college course,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50or opt for three years of outpatient chemotherapy,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52which would allow him to lead a more normal life.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58But it's much less likely to rid him of the cancer for good.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Connor must decide today.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Unfortunately now we do need to put some pressure on Connor to
0:21:08 > 0:21:11come to a final decision.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14We feel that, medically, we're in the best position now to be
0:21:14 > 0:21:16moving forward for a stem-cell transplant
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and the longer we leave things
0:21:18 > 0:21:21the more concern we have that his leukaemia could come back again.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Connor finally decides to go for the stem-cell transplant.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35You know, I'm pleased he's made that decision.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39We quite honestly said to him we were struggling to find
0:21:39 > 0:21:42evidence of any patient in his sort of situation,
0:21:42 > 0:21:47with his...his disease, that had not had a transplant and then was alive
0:21:47 > 0:21:51many years later, so we had to kind of put it in stark terms.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55I think he'd be the first to admit he was pretty upset by hearing that.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59I'd been not influencing his decision, because it had to
0:21:59 > 0:22:04be his decision, but he did ask me, "Mum, what would you do?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06"If I asked you to make the decision, what would you do?"
0:22:06 > 0:22:10And I said to him, "You have to have a transplant. You need to live."
0:22:18 > 0:22:23But with the chance of cure comes the risk of serious complications.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30I'm terrified. I'm terrified. I know it's not an easy path.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I know it's not an easy journey.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38It's obviously a very scary process, I'm really scared, erm,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42but obviously very hopeful that, you know, a year from now
0:22:42 > 0:22:47Connor will be on the path to, you know, living his life as he should.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52But obviously, erm... just the fact that...
0:22:55 > 0:22:58..I have to rely on someone else to save my child.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Sorry.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Someone else has got to come in and save my son, because I can't do it.
0:23:08 > 0:23:15If I die from this, Mum would be heartbroken.
0:23:15 > 0:23:21And probably couldn't...cope and go on. So it's just...
0:23:22 > 0:23:27My decision is for my mum basically, like all my decisions are.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31I always do the best for my family.
0:23:38 > 0:23:4324 hours ago, George was rushed to the superhospital by helicopter,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46after being in a head-on collision with a lorry.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51He has been moved from the Emergency Department
0:23:51 > 0:23:55to the state-of-the-art intensive-care unit, one floor up.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58There is absolutely a reason to put the critical-care units
0:23:58 > 0:24:00directly above the Emergency Department.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03It means that the transport of patients
0:24:03 > 0:24:07from the Emergency Department to the critical-care areas is very brief, erm,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11whereas in other hospitals, where they were built quite
0:24:11 > 0:24:13a long time ago, they're not planned out quite so well.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It might have been a 10-to-15-minute journey to get
0:24:16 > 0:24:20a patient from the Emergency Department to a critical-care area.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Can you hear me?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27George's partner Elaine
0:24:27 > 0:24:30was at home in Dunoon when she heard the news.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35He was due to arrive home about six o'clock...
0:24:37 > 0:24:38..and I heard all the sirens
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and I thought, "Oh, no, that's a bad accident."
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Cos I could hear all the fire engines, the ambulances, the police and everything.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48The first split second I thought, "Oh, that better not be him."
0:24:48 > 0:24:51And then, about an hour later, I got a knock at the door
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and it was the police and I just knew. I just...
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Soon as he was standing there, I was like... I knew straight away.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03I got on the ferry and the traffic police met me at the other side.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05And...
0:25:05 > 0:25:08put the blue lights on and got me up here so quickly.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15George has been sedated and on a ventilator for six days.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Intensive-care consultant Katherine McDowell is attempting to
0:25:18 > 0:25:22reduce the sedation and bring him round for the first time.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26They need to find out if he can move his arms and legs.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Geo, can you open your eyes for me?
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Yeah.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34You're quite safe. You're in intensive care.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36You're in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38It's Wednesday morning.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41You've been with us for a few days now,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45you've been in a really nasty accident. You are getting better.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Can you squeeze Louise's hand for me?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Squeeze my hand, Geo.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Geo suffered some very severe injuries
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and given the magnitude of the trauma that he's suffered
0:25:58 > 0:26:01we're pleased with the progress he's making.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04From a neurological perspective,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08we've been able to evaluate that he's able to move all his limbs,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10after having suffered the spinal-cord trauma,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12which is encouraging to us.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17The signs are there is no spinal-cord injury.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Did you hear me? Can you hear me, Geo?
0:26:23 > 0:26:27But George still hasn't been able to communicate.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Can you feel my hand?
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Can you feel my hand here, Geo?
0:26:35 > 0:26:36SHE GASPS
0:26:36 > 0:26:38He squeezed my hand.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41I love you.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50George has escaped permanent spinal injury.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53But he has a long road to recovery ahead.
0:27:02 > 0:27:0524 miles down the Clyde from the superhospital in Gourock,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09the Brands family are creating memories.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10Smile.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Louise and Craig have three children.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19The latest addition to the family is 12-week-old Fynn.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Fynn was born with a gap or cleft in his lip and the roof
0:27:24 > 0:27:27of his mouth where the tissues didn't fuse properly.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Around 100 babies are born every year in Scotland with this problem.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38Louise and Craig found out before Fynn was born at their 28-week scan.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44The consultant handed us one of our scan pictures and basically
0:27:44 > 0:27:48just shook his head and he said, "Cleft lip," and I started crying.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Between his nose and the mouth is a cleft.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55He knew straight away that that wasn't his tongue sticking out,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58that the black was definitely a hole.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I think I was more angry because our baby wasn't going to be perfect.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03You then start to put it in perspective.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06He's going to be born with an operation needing carried out
0:28:06 > 0:28:07on his lip and his mouth.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11However, he's going to have a fit and healthy life.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18'I think it's important he knows that we weren't at all embarrassed.'
0:28:18 > 0:28:20'That's why it was important to get the photos done.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22'To have memories of him with it.'
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Here at the Cleft Clinic in the Children's Hospital they
0:28:31 > 0:28:34treat all babies with cleft lip and palate in Scotland.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38It's a service led by nurse specialists.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39Is that OK?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42Staff nurse Jenny Pettigrew is in contact with parents
0:28:42 > 0:28:45within 24 hours of antenatal diagnosis.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48It's mostly a shock for the family.
0:28:48 > 0:28:49They would never expect cleft lip
0:28:49 > 0:28:51when they go for the foetal anomaly scan.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53They might worry about other things, but cleft is not
0:28:53 > 0:28:55something they ever worry about.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58They grieve the loss of the perfect baby.
0:29:01 > 0:29:06To help expectant parents and new mums and dads they hold a
0:29:06 > 0:29:07bumps and babies day.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12It's an opportunity for families to say, "That's how I feel,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15"I know exactly how you're feeling, and this is going to be OK."
0:29:17 > 0:29:19We don't know much about it. It's our first baby, so...
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Just to see real-life babies with clefts.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Hello!
0:29:23 > 0:29:24LAUGHTER
0:29:24 > 0:29:28'People are expecting to see other children who've had an unrepaired cleft,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31'and to see actually they're just children the same as any other child.'
0:29:32 > 0:29:35This is Ethan before his operation.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Once we got the cleft team out that reassured us more.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Because initially we were a bit, "Ooh". But now it's just... It's normal.
0:29:43 > 0:29:44It's what we're used to. It's him.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Thank you.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Fynn is now 18 weeks old and it's time for the operation to repair
0:30:00 > 0:30:02his cleft lip.
0:30:04 > 0:30:10Mum Louise is getting Fynn ready with cleft nurse Jenny.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14The babies do really very well. It's the parents that are left traumatised.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17- I wasn't going to cry. - It's tough. It's really tough.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19He'll thank you for it later.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Will we get you ready?
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Will we show Jenny your special outfit?
0:30:28 > 0:30:29SHE LAUGHS
0:30:31 > 0:30:33- I just think he's lovely the way he is.- He is lovely.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39I don't think she realised just how stressful it was going to be coming in.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Being aware surgery is happening, but it doesn't sink in until you
0:30:42 > 0:30:44come into the ward and you sign the consent form.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46And that's where it all seems very real.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50So it's a really stressful time for both Louise and for Craig, but they're doing really well,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52they're coping really well with it.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55I think I've been pretty good up to now, to be honest with you,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58but I think now it starts to hit home quite quickly. Yeah.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04You just have to keep in your head that it's a routine operation.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09It's not open-heart surgery. It should be straightforward.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13So you have to keep thinking positive about that.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23Consultant plastic and cleft surgeon Craig Russell performs
0:31:23 > 0:31:26a third of the lip and palate repairs in Scotland.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31Given that Fynn has a cleft lip and palate and that is a facial difference,
0:31:31 > 0:31:33'that can lead to significant bullying in life.'
0:31:33 > 0:31:38So to give Fynn the best possible start and the best possible options
0:31:38 > 0:31:41in life is why we offer cleft lip repair.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43- That's us.- Let's go.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- All right.- You'll do.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57FYNN CRIES
0:31:57 > 0:31:58SPEECH INDISTINCT
0:32:01 > 0:32:04We're going to get him a bit more floppy, OK?
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Right, you give him a big kiss and we will take great care of
0:32:10 > 0:32:13him and we will have him back to you as soon as possible.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21It's a very stressful day. They're giving up their baby, their pride and joy,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23for an anaesthetic and operation.
0:32:23 > 0:32:29It's a very emotional time for them, so we have the specialist
0:32:29 > 0:32:31nurses who are there immediately to support them.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- You just wish you could do it for them.- I know.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Right, are we good to go?
0:32:41 > 0:32:45Fynn is dwarfed by the large surgical team and hi-tech
0:32:45 > 0:32:48equipment needed to repair his tiny lip and nose.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53'Half millimetres make a big difference.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56'We're dealing with a baby who's just 6.4 kilos.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58'We've been measuring in millimetres and half
0:32:58 > 0:33:02'millimetres to get them as exact as I possibly can.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05'Such that, as the baby grows up, there's going to be symmetry
0:33:05 > 0:33:07'on both sides of their lip, nose.'
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Can I get another double skin hook, please?
0:33:13 > 0:33:15'I've got the best job in the world.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18'I give children smiles and a voice to talk with.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22'I feel very grateful to be able to do what I do.'
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Just the PDS at the end of this, that should be us done.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Two-and-a-half hours later the operation is over and Fynn is
0:33:40 > 0:33:42reunited with his mum and dad.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45We missed you.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Have you been a brave boy? Have you?
0:33:50 > 0:33:55It will take a while to heal but, in a few weeks, Fynn should have
0:33:55 > 0:33:56a very different smile.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14There are 38 operating theatres here,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17more than any other hospital in Scotland.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22Around 370 operations are performed every week in the adult hospital alone.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27And there is one operation which can only be done here.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30And only by David Hendry.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36He specialises in surgery to treat testicular cancer that
0:34:36 > 0:34:39has spread into abdominal lymph glands.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44Around 20 are carried out here every year and the next one planned
0:34:44 > 0:34:46is for 35-year-old John.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52When John was diagnosed his disease had already spread to lymph
0:34:52 > 0:34:55glands inside his abdomen and so he required
0:34:55 > 0:34:57quite intensive chemotherapy.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03I just wanted to curl up into a ball and die. I thought that was it.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07- It all just happened so fast. - It was very, very quick.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12It was just a shock to the system. How things could change like that.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17John's had three rounds of chemotherapy.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20But his scans reveal that there might be remaining cancer in
0:35:20 > 0:35:22his abdominal lymph glands.
0:35:22 > 0:35:28I can see here an abnormality but it's a disease that we don't really
0:35:28 > 0:35:32know exactly what it is until it's been removed.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Only when the suspicious tissue is analysed by pathology
0:35:36 > 0:35:39will they know if it is active cancer.
0:35:40 > 0:35:47If there is some residual cancer there it can relapse very quickly.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52It can double in size in seven to ten days and so you need to remove it quickly.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01With such a big operation looming John and Leanne try to keep
0:36:01 > 0:36:05things as normal as possible for their daughters Elia and Breanna.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11When I was diagnosed that was one of the things that went through my head.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14They're going to be without a father.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Who's going to look after them? Who's going to look after Leanne?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Things like that go through your head.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24'The youngest one, she's fine with it, but it's the eldest one,
0:36:24 > 0:36:29'she'll have her days where she'll just break down about it because she
0:36:29 > 0:36:33'just thought, "My daddy's got this, my daddy's going to die."'
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Time just seems to drag, doesn't it?
0:36:45 > 0:36:49I know. Hopefully get this beast out of me and that's it.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Next door in the Children's Hospital another patient is dealing
0:37:04 > 0:37:06with the devastating effects of cancer.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13Just a week away from his planned stem-cell transplant, Connor has collapsed.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18The chemotherapy has weakened his immune system and
0:37:18 > 0:37:20has left him vulnerable to infection.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26'I've never felt so scared in my life.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30'I didn't even feel as scared when I got told Connor had cancer.'
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Can you straighten your arm?
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Can I have this...? No, this one.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Can I have this arm?
0:37:38 > 0:37:41'It is quite a high level of support he's getting at the moment.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44'He's on a ventilator.'
0:37:44 > 0:37:46He has got some sedation on board.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50He's got some medications to help with brain swelling
0:37:50 > 0:37:52and really the function of the brain as well.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59'There's only so much swelling that the brain will take before it is
0:37:59 > 0:38:00'irreversibly damaged.'
0:38:03 > 0:38:07Connor's collapse has been caused by a well-known virus.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13It was the chickenpox virus but in Connor it did something that it
0:38:13 > 0:38:17can do but it doesn't usually do, and it got into his brain and it
0:38:17 > 0:38:21caused a reaction in his brain, which is why he became so unwell so quickly.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30This is a worrying setback as they have to stop the chemotherapy
0:38:30 > 0:38:34while Connor is treated for this life-threatening infection.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39But all the time he's getting better, we are worried that could
0:38:39 > 0:38:42this be the window of opportunity for his leukaemia to come back?
0:38:57 > 0:39:02John's surgery to remove diseased lymph glands is on schedule.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07At an anticipated seven hours it is one of the longest operations
0:39:07 > 0:39:08carried out in the hospital.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13This is just a scan, as if you were cut straight up and down the
0:39:13 > 0:39:15middle, looking on from the side.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20So we can see the bones of the spine here, spinal cord lies in here.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23And this is the main artery,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26the aorta bringing all the blood to the tissues.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30And this mass on the front of it is the abnormal lymph glands
0:39:30 > 0:39:32sticking to the front of the main artery.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36And so this is the main thing we need to remove but we will
0:39:36 > 0:39:39remove all the lymph glands in this area.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46David Hendry plays music to help him concentrate during surgery.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52I have a playlist for different operations and this is quite
0:39:52 > 0:39:55a long playlist because it might be quite a long operation.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59MUSIC PLAYS
0:39:59 > 0:40:02MUSIC DROWNS SPEECH
0:40:13 > 0:40:17'There's a number of things make it potentially difficult surgery.'
0:40:17 > 0:40:21One is the access because the lymph glands are right at the back
0:40:21 > 0:40:25of the abdomen behind all of the intestine.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29The second thing is they can often be stuck to the main blood
0:40:29 > 0:40:33vessels and it can be very difficult to separate them off and you
0:40:33 > 0:40:37can sometimes get the risk of very significant bleeding.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45'If you get bleeding from the main artery or main vein in
0:40:45 > 0:40:49'the body it tends to be dramatic and because there is
0:40:49 > 0:40:53'so much blood flowing through those main blood vessels it can
0:40:53 > 0:40:55'be difficult to control that.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59'And if you were to get significant bleeding that, in itself, could be
0:40:59 > 0:41:00'life-threatening.'
0:41:05 > 0:41:11An hour into the operation, while separating off the tumour,
0:41:11 > 0:41:12the main vein tears.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17I can see it now. We need a bit more space.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28It's a lot of bleeding. So can we page the vascular?
0:41:30 > 0:41:33David Hendry has control of the bleed but only by keeping
0:41:33 > 0:41:35his finger pressed on the vein.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42If he let go John could bleed to death in just ten minutes.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Vascular surgeon Keith Hussey arrives within minutes from the
0:41:47 > 0:41:50operating theatre he was working in nearby.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55It's a small branch in front of the cava that needs repaired.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00How is he physiologically just now?
0:42:00 > 0:42:01MACHINE WHIRS
0:42:01 > 0:42:03SPEECH INDISTINCT
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Clip, please. Cheers.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10'If there's a problem you're aware that, in the very unlikely
0:42:10 > 0:42:15'event things go really badly, you will be leaving young children with
0:42:15 > 0:42:21'no father and that's just an extra pressure at the back of your mind.'
0:42:23 > 0:42:30John's life is in skilled hands. But they need to repair the vein quickly.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46The expertise that the hospital has on one site can save lives.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Even before birth.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Next door, the Children's Hospital brings specialisms together.
0:42:56 > 0:43:01Foetal medicine, maternity, and both newborn and children's
0:43:01 > 0:43:03intensive care units are all on one site.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10The state-of-the-art paediatric intensive care unit is where
0:43:10 > 0:43:13some of the sickest children in Scotland are cared for.
0:43:15 > 0:43:191,100 little patients a year get one-to-one round-the-clock
0:43:19 > 0:43:20nursing care.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23And all the specialisms are close at hand.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Most children stay for an average of two-and-a-half days,
0:43:28 > 0:43:32but Calla from Aberdeen holds the record.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Fasten our seatbelts.
0:43:34 > 0:43:40She's been in intensive care for 362 days. All her life.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43Do you want a little bit of mango? It's coming.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45MACHINE BEEPS
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Are you getting excited over this food? Uh-huh.
0:43:51 > 0:43:56She was born in the maternity unit, and so complex and rare are
0:43:56 > 0:43:59her medical issues, she has never left the hospital.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04She's come so far over this last year from being so ill on
0:44:04 > 0:44:09so many days, to a baby that's able to sit and eat purees.
0:44:09 > 0:44:10It's just beautiful.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14Yeah, that's a lovely smile.
0:44:16 > 0:44:21First-time mum Lynne has left her home and family in Aberdeen
0:44:21 > 0:44:26so she can be with Calla all the time, while dad Ally works abroad
0:44:26 > 0:44:28and is only home one week in four.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34Their dream is for Calla to spend her first birthday
0:44:34 > 0:44:35out of the hospital.
0:44:35 > 0:44:40I would just love to be able to get her to experience the outside world.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44I think we've spent the last year, from a neo-natal intensive care unit
0:44:44 > 0:44:48'to a paediatric intensive care unit, and to be able to
0:44:48 > 0:44:52'experience what's beyond the window I think would be lovely for her.'
0:44:52 > 0:44:55What can we see out here?
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Sometimes, when we're sitting playing, we'll sit near the window
0:44:58 > 0:45:00and she just looks out with utter amazement,
0:45:00 > 0:45:04"There's something else out there, Mummy, it's bright out there."
0:45:04 > 0:45:08So it would just be a real privilege to be able to take her
0:45:08 > 0:45:12for a walk in a pram, or get her outside the walls of the hospital.
0:45:16 > 0:45:21Paediatric consultant Mark Davidson has been looking after Calla
0:45:21 > 0:45:24since she has been in Intensive Care.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28Calla was born with quite a few problems.
0:45:28 > 0:45:29Hello...
0:45:29 > 0:45:31There's nowhere else in Scotland that could have done
0:45:31 > 0:45:33everything that we've done.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35We've got a big, busy Intensive Care Unit
0:45:35 > 0:45:39and within that intensive care, we can tap into cardiac surgeons.
0:45:39 > 0:45:40She's needed a heart operation.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43We can tap into the ear, nose and throat surgeons.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46She's needed multiple procedures by them.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49She's needed complex general surgical input, so they are here.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52The ophthalmologist, the audiologist,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55the physiotherapist, the neurodevelopmental team,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58the dieticians, so, you know, it's a massive team that's working
0:45:58 > 0:46:00behind the scenes, to a great extent.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06During Calla's journey, there were several times where we didn't
0:46:06 > 0:46:08think Calla was going to make it.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11And that was really challenging for Lynne and Ally...
0:46:14 > 0:46:16..as well as the extended team.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20And there were times when we weren't sure what the right thing
0:46:20 > 0:46:24to do was, and there was lots of soul-searching going on in the team.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26And Lynne and Ally are part of that team.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29So, I suppose, like a lot of kids,
0:46:29 > 0:46:33she's astounded us to get to where she is, which is fantastic.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Today, Calla is going to break free from the hospital.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44The family will have a weekend of respite care near Loch Lomond,
0:46:44 > 0:46:46in time for her first birthday.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52One pram. One, two, three, four, five, six boxes.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55OK. The main thing is that we've got all her medications,
0:46:55 > 0:46:58everything that will keep her going.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00Everything for the ventilator for night-time,
0:47:00 > 0:47:04and oxygen supplies to keep this one breathing.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10I can't wait to get going, so I just want my husband to get here.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12I want his plane to not be delayed,
0:47:12 > 0:47:15although it's currently 30 minutes delayed.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17And then
0:47:17 > 0:47:22we'll be able to get off for our first little exciting trip.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Hello.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Have you had a good sleep?
0:47:27 > 0:47:31There is no doubt that Calla is benefiting from the expertise
0:47:31 > 0:47:33at Glasgow's superhospital.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37The downside is the family being so far from home.
0:47:39 > 0:47:40So excited.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43I mean, we've never been in the same place for a family photograph,
0:47:43 > 0:47:47it's always one in, one out, two in at the bedside.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50My mum and dad haven't really seen my brother hold her,
0:47:50 > 0:47:54or that kind of way, so for people to all be in the same place
0:47:54 > 0:47:56at the same time is going to be really nice.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02Calla's dad Ally has come straight from the airport.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07Hiya, Calla.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12It's really difficult to be away, obviously,
0:48:12 > 0:48:14but it's great to come back.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16But when I'm away, I'm always thinking about them
0:48:16 > 0:48:18and praying for them, and everything,
0:48:18 > 0:48:22but we've waited for such a long time and had despair
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and we've had upset, and every day is a little battle for Calla,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29and it's a complete victory and we're so thankful.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34Calla has survived several major operations,
0:48:34 > 0:48:37and every day she is beating the odds.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Calla has something called Ohtahara syndrome.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44It's a life-limiting illness.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49We need to make whatever life Calla has the best possible,
0:48:49 > 0:48:53which is why there's no point in staying in Intensive Care.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57Her condition is a rare form of epilepsy which will reduce
0:48:57 > 0:49:00her life expectancy,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02so time is precious.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05No-one knows how long they've got on this Earth.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09We can't live expecting it or in fear of it.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12I don't think we've ever really been told years, have we?
0:49:12 > 0:49:13Kind of?
0:49:13 > 0:49:15You know, we don't know.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19We need to live and give Calla a good quality of life,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21and that is the future.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27Along with Calla's first birthday, there are many other firsts.
0:49:29 > 0:49:30She has never been in a pram.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35- How's that? - No...- Oh, there's a smile.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40We were told that Calla might never smile, but we get some really
0:49:40 > 0:49:44beautiful smiles and little giggles from her, so it's really good.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47I've never taken you more than a metre from the bed!
0:49:51 > 0:49:53Hey. Where are we off to?
0:49:56 > 0:49:57She's just fantastic.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00- A little superstar. Super Calla! - Super Calla.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02LYNNE LAUGHS
0:50:05 > 0:50:10It's taken a lot of planning, but at last they're on their way.
0:50:14 > 0:50:15You can wave.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17- Yeah.- Bye!- Bye!
0:50:17 > 0:50:18She's made it.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24Calla leaves the hospital for the first time in her life.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27Are you ready for this, puppy?
0:50:27 > 0:50:29This is called cold air.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31This is the big, bad world.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33This is it. We did it!
0:50:34 > 0:50:36Yay!
0:50:37 > 0:50:40This is the first time, and just amazing, you know?
0:50:40 > 0:50:44You can't describe how amazing it is, to be honest.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58Next door, in the adult hospital,
0:50:58 > 0:51:00in Theatre 3...
0:51:03 > 0:51:06..John has had a significant bleed from his main vein.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14The surgical team are battling to get it under control.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22It was concerning because the tumour was so close to where the
0:51:22 > 0:51:26bleeding was, and then when my vascular colleague came along,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28he was able to control the bleeding
0:51:28 > 0:51:31till I separated off more of the tumour,
0:51:31 > 0:51:35so we made the space to be able to safely repair it.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41Now the surgery to remove the tumour that caused the bleed
0:51:41 > 0:51:44and all the surrounding lymph glands can continue.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50This is the main part of the tumour out.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53The lymph nodes here, here and in here.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58After seven hours operating on John,
0:51:58 > 0:52:02David Hendry has removed all the diseased lymph glands,
0:52:02 > 0:52:04and they are sent to Pathology.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09Hello. Is that Leanne? Hi, it's David Hendry here.
0:52:09 > 0:52:14So, it is just to say that that's us finished.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16It was quite difficult.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19It took us a little bit longer than I was expecting.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22And that's the worst bit over now,
0:52:22 > 0:52:25because that's the most dangerous thing, the operation itself,
0:52:25 > 0:52:30and that's that over, and he's nice and stable and out in Recovery.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35PHONE RINGS
0:52:35 > 0:52:38HDU3, Maria Barry speaking. How can I help?
0:52:38 > 0:52:43John is now in the High Dependency Unit to be closely monitored.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51He has to wait for two weeks to find out if there is active cancer
0:52:51 > 0:52:54in any of the lymph glands that have been removed.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14Connor has been critically ill for two weeks.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19He has been in the Intensive Care Unit receiving 24-hour care.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23I was terrified. I genuinely thought I was losing him.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26I actually thought I was losing my son.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33He has been kept under sedation to protect his brain function while
0:53:33 > 0:53:38high doses of anti-viral medication have fought the chickenpox virus.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43I don't remember anything, to be honest.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46It doesn't matter that you can't remember.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49It's not a stress that you can't remember anything.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52I think maybe the last 14 years days,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54it's probably good that you can't remember.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57So don't worry about it at all.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07Today, he is out of danger and well enough to go back to the ward.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12He has overcome so much in the last 14 days.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15He's an absolute trooper.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18He really, really, really is made of strong stuff.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22It's good to have you back.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26He can now tolerate his maintenance chemotherapy,
0:54:26 > 0:54:31but Connor's body is too weak to withstand the stem-cell transplant,
0:54:31 > 0:54:34so it has been postponed.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39We need to build him up physically, because he's lost a lot of weight.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41We need to support him psychologically,
0:54:41 > 0:54:44because this has been a huge setback to him.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48But we need to just get straight back on to working towards
0:54:48 > 0:54:51ensuring his leukaemia remains under control, to move forward
0:54:51 > 0:54:53for the transplant because, ultimately,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55we are trying to cure Connor.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01For now, Connor must spend time building up his strength in
0:55:01 > 0:55:03the Teenage Cancer Unit...
0:55:03 > 0:55:08with a few visitors - Still Game - to help him on his way.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12Would it be OK if I could get an autograph for my friends?
0:55:12 > 0:55:16- Sure.- Aye!- Nah, nah. I am drawing the line at that.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18- Just for two friends.- Two friends?
0:55:18 > 0:55:20If we put it on the same one and they fall out,
0:55:20 > 0:55:23- you're going to have to rip it in two.- Aye.
0:55:25 > 0:55:30I see people five, ten, 15, 20 years following their treatment,
0:55:30 > 0:55:34so you keep that in your mind, because many people have been
0:55:34 > 0:55:36through very difficult situations, like Connor's going through
0:55:36 > 0:55:38at the moment, and they've made it through,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41and they're able to be in a position of looking back.
0:55:50 > 0:55:55Two weeks after John's surgery to remove his abnormal lymph glands,
0:55:55 > 0:55:58David Hendry has the results from the pathology tests.
0:55:58 > 0:56:03Undoubtedly, it was very important that John have this removed.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10Of the 34 glands removed from his abdomen, most were benign
0:56:10 > 0:56:13but two contained active cancer.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18We've obviously had to do difficult treatment for John,
0:56:18 > 0:56:23all the chemotherapy and major surgery, but that has been worth it.
0:56:23 > 0:56:24The disease is out.
0:56:24 > 0:56:29So we still feel he's got a good long-term chance of cure,
0:56:29 > 0:56:31well over 90%.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38The operation may have finally got rid of John's fast-spreading cancer.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40The beast has gone.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43And hopefully the beast stays away.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46100% in having the operation, definitely.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49It was definitely... It was worthwhile doing.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51The things I'm looking forward to the most
0:56:51 > 0:56:53is to get back to everyday life,
0:56:53 > 0:56:56spending time with family and friends,
0:56:56 > 0:56:58and living life to the full.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05Since it opened two years ago, Scotland's biggest hospital
0:57:05 > 0:57:09has witnessed the transformation of lives every day,
0:57:09 > 0:57:12through the thousands of patients who pass through its doors.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Following his road accident,
0:57:17 > 0:57:21George spent four weeks working hard to get on his feet again...
0:57:21 > 0:57:23- You did it.- Thanks, guys.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27Agh... I couldn't have done it without yous.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29..and is now heading home.
0:57:31 > 0:57:37Fynn's operation to repair his cleft lip has given him a brand-new smile.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40Look at your gorgeous smile!
0:57:42 > 0:57:46Lynne, Ally and Calla finally got to spend time
0:57:46 > 0:57:48outside Intensive Care.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51The birthday break was a huge success,
0:57:51 > 0:57:54and now Calla is living at home in Aberdeen.
0:57:54 > 0:57:58There we go! Does it feel a bit fresh out here?
0:58:00 > 0:58:02And there is good news for Connor.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04After building up his strength at home...
0:58:04 > 0:58:06- Look at him!- You look amazing.
0:58:06 > 0:58:11..he's back on track to get his stem-cell transplant in six weeks.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13I'll give you a hug.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15- Aw...- Yay!- Thanks.
0:58:17 > 0:58:21The doctors are happy, putting on weight, loads of family time,
0:58:21 > 0:58:26so I'm surprised about everything that's gone on. It's all...
0:58:26 > 0:58:28It's looking up.