Jackson with his mum and Dr Singh(Image: Nottingham Post/ Joel Moore)

Indian army training helped Nottingham surgeon save life of boy who had 'minutes to live'

by · NottinghamshireLive

A surgeon has paid tribute to a "true black swan" young Nottinghamshire boy who he saved when he was just minutes away from death from sepsis. Jackson, from Mansfield, was rushed to the Queen's Medical Centre for emergency surgery after he collapsed aged seven.

His parents were told he was just minutes away from death, but was saved thanks to the quick-thinking of Shailinder Singh. This year they nominated the consultant paediatrician surgeon for a Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust People First Recognition Award.

Jackson, now 11, said he was delighted to hear Mr Singh was announced as the winner two weeks ago. His mum, Bec, said: "I was so happy, we were so pleased he won it because we feel it's what he deserved and it's recognition for his job and what he did for Jackson. We were amazed and very, very happy.

"Jackson's words were 'he saved my life' and that was it, that was the reason. If he wasn't there that night we wouldn't have Jackson and people said that."

Dr Singh and Jackson with the surgeon's award(Image: Nottingham Post/ Joel Moore)

A scan showed 10cm (3.9in) of Jackson's large intestine had pushed through the hernia, twisted and died, causing sepsis. Mr Singh decided to immediately perform an operation rather than taking him to an operating theatre as there was not enough time to spare.

"All I knew was that I couldn't make him worse, he was only going to get better. If you ask me personally there was absolutely zero risk I was taking," said Mr Singh, who said his experience as an Indian army surgeon helped in the situation.

"In India they used to take us to the fields where soldiers were dying. Stretchers were operating tables, it was damage control, ten minutes and next soldier."

Bec added: "Not every person would do what he had done with the experience he has and we were very fortunate that night. One of the nurses on that night said 'you've got the best, you've got the perfect person, you'll be absolutely fine'.

Jackson in the paediatric intensive care unit(Image: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust)

"If not he was minutes from dying and he knows that. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have this one."

Mr Singh said Jackson was a one in 100,000 case among one in 100,000 cases. "He's rare, he was a true black swan. I have never seen this turn up and I don't think I'll see another one, and I've worked in Australia, America, Kuwait, India," he said.

"He can become the best surgeon when he's older, he'd make a great CEO of NUH, he could maybe even be Health Secretary."