A Colchester County nurse and mother is thanking dozens of healthcare professionals across multiple agencies after what she describes as a terrifying situation that resulted in her 20-year-old daughter recovering from a sudden and severe neurological illness.
Fayth Payson, a Dalhousie Agricultural College student and varsity volleyball player, was working last November at a pickleball tournament at the Cougar Dome in Truro when she collapsed from a seizure.
Her mother, Carmen, a registered nurse of 28 years, said the episode came after a week of unusual symptoms, including short-lived but severe headaches and difficulty with fine motor tasks. Carmen wasn’t present when her daughter had the seizure but others were and immediately rendered assistance and called for help.
Paramedics took Fayth to Colchester East Hants Health Centre in Truro but was then airlifted to the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax to get additional tests.
“I knew something was wrong but I didn’t realize how serious it was,” Carmen recalled.
“When I got to the emergency department and saw how agitated and confused she was, all I could think was, ‘What in the heck is going on with my kid?’”
The physician’s directness and clarity helped her stay grounded, she said. “He was so direct, but kind. He didn’t sugar coat anything and I appreciated that.”
When the LifeFlight team arrived, they determined Fayth would need to be sedated and intubated before transport because of the risk she would become agitated mid-flight.
One team member, Michael, made a particular impression.
“He asked for my cell number so he could update me while they were in the air,” Carmen said. “His kindness was overwhelming. I trusted the crew completely.”
Carmen received a text en route to Halifax confirming her daughter was stable. Minutes after arriving at the Halifax Infirmary, Fayth was taken for a CT scan. Within an hour, the family learned the seizure was not caused by a tumour or brain bleed. Those were two of the outcomes Carmen had feared most.
Fayth was admitted to the neuro ICU, where neurology, infectious disease and critical care teams worked to determine the cause of her symptoms. After a lumbar puncture and multiple rounds of testing, physicians diagnosed viral encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, caused by an unidentified virus.
Later, Fayth was transferred to a medical unit and later discharged home, where she continued receiving IV antibiotics at the Medical Day Unit at Colchester East Hants Heath Centre.
Now back in school and fully recovered, Fayth has resumed her pre-veterinary studies.
The compassion shown by staff and physicians at every stage left a lasting impact, Carmen said. She recalled an ICU support worker who made her a cup of tea and brought warm blankets during the first night in Halifax.
“It made all the difference in the world. The staff of the Medical Day Unit, such as Dr. Beau Blois and Dr. Victor Espinal, all went above and beyond to help Fayth when she was still recovering from her illness and the tests she had to have done.”
“Everyone was so kind. They didn’t have to go out of their way like they did.”
Carmen, who teaches practical nursing at Nova Scotia Community College, felt compelled to share this story publicly.
“We don’t hear ‘thank you’ enough in healthcare,” she said. “People need to know that when you need care, good people are there.”
Photo of Fayth Payson.
