Midway toddler reunited with Intermountain flight team that saved her life during 6,300-mile emergency transport

Estelle was transported from Uruguay to Utah to receive emergency medical treatment. Photo: Courtesy of Intermountain Health

MIDWAY, Utah — Six months after a medical emergency overseas nearly claimed her life, a Midway toddler celebrated her fourth birthday surrounded by the people who helped bring her home.

Estelle Santiago and her family recently reunited with the Intermountain Health Flight & Ambulance team that flew more than 6,300 miles from Utah to Uruguay and back to transport her to lifesaving medical care at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.

The reunion marked a milestone Estelle’s parents, Ellie and Michael Santiago, feared they might never see.

“We are forever indebted to them for saving Estelle’s life,” Ellie Santiago said. “Thanks to their dedication, skill, and swift action, our daughter is still with us today and for that we are eternally thankful. They’re truly angels.”

The family, who lives in Midway, had traveled to Uruguay in early January to visit grandparents serving a church mission. During the trip, their 3-year-old daughter suddenly became critically ill.

On Jan. 7, a call came into the Intermountain Health Transfer Center in Salt Lake City about a Utah child in urgent need of specialized medical transport.

Estelle had been diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a rare but serious condition that can cause kidney failure and other life-threatening complications. By the time she arrived at a hospital in Montevideo, Uruguay, she was experiencing seizures, renal failure, and later respiratory and cardiac failure.

Her parents needed to get her back to Utah quickly for advanced pediatric care.

Within hours, insurance authorization was approved for an emergency international medical flight. The Intermountain Health Flight & Ambulance team began the complex process of securing landing permits — a process that typically takes a week or longer.

Instead, approval came within 24 hours.

“This was a massive team effort,” said Bracken Mecham, an Intermountain air ambulance pilot who helped transport Estelle. “Everyone — from coordinators to communications specialists, mechanics, medical personnel, and pilots — worked tirelessly for days to safely bring Estelle home.”

An airborne ICU across the world

The mission became Intermountain Health’s first international pediatric transport.

University of Utah Health and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital pediatric critical care physician Jon Woods, MD, coordinated Estelle’s care with physicians at British Hospital of Montevideo and oversaw her treatment during the flight home.

When the medical team arrived in Uruguay, Estelle was intubated and receiving multiple medications to support her blood pressure, heart function, and sedation. Doctors in Uruguay warned the team that they were unsure whether she was stable enough to survive the flight.

The team decided the specialized capabilities aboard Intermountain’s long-range medical jet gave Estelle the best chance.

The aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 604, functions as an airborne intensive care unit and is equipped to handle complex medical situations during long-distance flights.

The biggest challenge was that Estelle’s continuous dialysis would need to be paused during transport.

Despite the risks, the team moved forward.

On Jan. 9, three medical team members and four pilots departed Utah for Uruguay. After an overnight stop in Peru, the crew continued to Montevideo to bring Estelle home.

Two days later, on Jan. 11, Estelle began the 18-hour journey back to Utah, traveling through Peru and Texas before finally landing in Salt Lake City.

A long-awaited homecoming

After arriving in Utah, Estelle was transported directly to the pediatric intensive care unit at Primary Children’s Hospital, where she spent several weeks recovering before transitioning from intensive care to rehabilitation.

For her parents, seeing their daughter’s safe arrival brought a sense of relief after days of uncertainty.

“We felt completely helpless as Estelle’s condition spiraled out of control in Uruguay,” Michael Santiago said. “The moment the Intermountain team landed there, we felt relief and gratitude beyond words, like the cavalry had arrived.”

While Estelle recovered, her parents sent updates to the flight team. One video showed the toddler sitting upright, no longer on a ventilator or dialysis, taking small bites from a spoon.

“It was wonderful,” said Rose Linsler, RN, an Intermountain Health Flight & Ambulance nurse who cared for Estelle throughout the flight. “I love developing relationships with families — some lasting only the duration of the transport, some a lifetime. They are such a lovely family.”

Today, Estelle continues to recover and grow stronger.

“Six months ago, if we could have seen the level to which she has recovered, we would not have believed it,” Ellie Santiago said. “She has a few lingering problems, but nothing that will hold her back. Estelle is on track to make a full recovery and we’re so grateful.”