It was a hot and hectic day in the sheep yards on the Mitchell family’s Narrikup farm in WA, in February of 2022. With one mob of ewes sorted, young mum of three, Kate Mitchell, decided to take her 'brood' back to the homestead to grab a cool drink and a snack. Having grown up on a farm close to the Esperance end of WA’s famous rabbit proof fence, Kate always envisaged raising her family on a farm. On this particular day, the young country Mum even felt like she was ‘kicking goals’ – having safely delivered her daughter Grace on time and on the bus, while her father-in-law, Ross, had the sheep work going like clockwork and Kate already had the ewes mustered on the bike. All with help from her young boys, Harry and Darcy. So when both her boys disappeared into their bedroom to ‘cool off and chase the new kitten around with a broom’, Kate was relieved to have a few minutes of peace and quiet. Then she heard Harry yelling for help.
In episode #123 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, Kate recounts how she rushed to the bedroom, only to find her 16-month-old son Darcy lying on the floor, blue and frothing from the mouth. Her first thought was that her beautiful baby boy was dead. With no idea of what had caused her toddler to stop breathing, Kate took control and began CPR, while different scenarios raced through her head. Had he choked, had he been bitten, had he hit his head, had he been exposed to a poison or toxin? Kate knew time was critical. Much later, three-year-old Harry would tell his parents that Darcy did ‘a flippy floppy fish dance’ before he stopped breathing.
Kate's instincts told her that waiting was wasted time. With the farm located some 50km from Albany - and knowing the local ambulance service was based on rallying volunteers for a callout – Kate quickly made the decision to get on the road and meet the ambulance on the way. A decision which would see the next hour playing out more like a movie script than real life. As her father-in-law drove along the dirt road to meet the ambulance, Kate battled the patchy mobile coverage and her critical connection to the emergency services operator. The moment she spotted a random police highway patrol, Kate seized the opportunity like a life-line. Rushing across the highway with her unconscious toddler in her arms, the young mum still remembers the moment when one of the police officers announced he was a ‘trained pursuit driver’. He offered to drive the ambulance all the way to Albany and with lights and sirens blaring, the Mitchell family hurtled into town. But Darcy’s complex medical journey was only just beginning…
After a myriad of tests, vague diagnosis and a series of increasingly serious seizures, Darcy would eventually be airlifted to Perth Children’s Hospital, where an Epilepsy diagnosis would be confirmed. The frequent hospital stays and visits were particularly isolating for Kate and Darcy, as Covid meant restricted hospital ward visits. These days, Darcy is a now a happy and healthy four-year-old who has been ‘seizure free’ for the past year. But his ongoing medical needs have meant Kate and incredibly supportive husband Matt, recently made the tough decision to leave their beloved farm life behind and move the Mitchell clan into town. Even now, Darcy still regularly asks ‘when are we going home to the farm?’
But while the Mitchell family’s adjustments have been challenging, it has also seen the creation of a truly life-changing rural health initiative. The Darcy Effect, which Kate developed from scratch to help rural families just like hers, has an admirable mission for rural and remote health care advocacy, awareness and support. The Darcy Effect includes an amazing website resource, links and opportunities to support first-aid training and immediate access to ‘care packs’, (often packed with the help of an enthusiastic Darcy) that are sent to families across Australia, who find themselves unexpectedly needing to travel from their homes to access urgent medical care. As a teacher herself, Kate is also keen to continue creating more accessible education programs for rural and remote families, which is why she was instrumental in bringing Fangs On The Farm – a pilot episode of an animated series featuring characters Darcy Dingo, Gracie Gecko, and Harry Hopperoo — to help country children learn about first-aid. One thing is very clear. The ‘Darcy effect’ has already become a country family phenomenon that just keeps on giving…
You can read more about the The Darcy Effect or share some Fangs on the Farm First Aid fun with your family at "Fangs on the Farm" Episode
