TWO years on from her newborn’s near-death experience, Frankston South mum Samantha is thankful she listened to her instincts.
Samantha took her two-week-old daughter Zara to Peninsula University Hospital’s emergency department concerned that she was not eating or sleeping properly. Zara was assessed and quickly rushed to the resuscitation area, where a defibrillator was used to reduce her heart rate from 290 beats per minute.
Samantha said “when I walked in the doors she went quiet, even though she had just been crying inconsolably. I almost thought ‘she seems fine now, maybe I should take her home’.
“It went from fine to very serious, very quickly.”
Zara was diagnosed with tachycardia, and spent two months in hospital to recover from the life-threatening incident. In the two years since she has presented to the emergency department six times.
Samantha says she is thankful to the Peninsula University Hospital staff for helping save her daughter’s life. “It makes me feel comfortable bringing her there, that they know who she is and she’s looked after so well,” she said. “They know what they’ve got to do.
“It’s really good to know that the hospital is close and they’re great with her.”
Zara requires ongoing medical intervention, but is otherwise a happy two-year-old with a fondness for singing and tutus.
The hospital is currently fundraising for lifesaving equipment for its paediatrics department. To donate visit donations.peninsulahealth.org.au.
First published in the Frankston Times – 9 June 2026
