A bee sting brought Sophie Hubble of Clarkston to the brink, but she was lucky, said her mother, Mary Hubble.
“She was surrounded by people able to help her,” Mary said. “Everything fell into place ? you couldn’t ask for better people. As scary as it was, it was very cool.”
They were on a mission trip with Catholic Heart Work Camp in Morganton, N.C., as part of a nationwide mission effort, June 14-20. Mary was in charge of a group of 39 youth from St. Dan Catholic Church of Clarkston and 10 from St. Rita’s of Holly.
“We met people from all over the country, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Florida, Wisconsin, South Carolina,” she said. “Teams went to work sites to assist the people of Morganton.”
Sophie, 17, Lakeland High School graduate, was building raised vegetable gardens when she was stung by a bee.
“She went into anaphylactic shock,” Mary said. “We didn’t know she had an allergy.”
Sophie was taken to the local urgent care center, then Morganton hospital, where she was stabilized.
“She received several doses, and was released with a supply of Epipens and medication,” Mary said.
A day later, Sophie suffered a rebound anaphylactic shock, much worse than the first.
“She was alone in her dorm,” Mary said. “She made it to the elevator, where she was caught by a volunteer who happened to be EMT trained. He caught her and carried her downstairs.”
The volunteer, Elliot Walz, administered an Epipen and called 911, and then gave her a second dose.
“They barely kept her alive,” Mary said.
Epipens, auto-injectors loaded with Epinephrine, treat Anaphylaxis, but don’t cure the severe allergic reactions. They just buy time, she said.
“Epipens are solely to buy time for EMS to arrive,” she said.
After a third dose of Epinephrine, the ambulance arrived to take Sophie to the hospital. Emergency room physicians and nurses found she wasn’t breathing and conducted emergency intubation, later adding a second breathing tube.
“My poor daughter was so badly bruised,” Mary recalled.
In need of greater care, they loaded her in an ambulance and drove her to Charlotte, about 70 miles away, at 100 mph with full lights and sirens.
“They told me, ‘get ready to run,'” Mary said. “The battery backup had failed and they were bagging her. It was crazy.”
Sophie spent 12 hours on a ventilator before responding to treatment.
“Sophie knows sign language ? she was signing ‘what time is it,’ ‘I’m hungry,’ and ‘contact my boyfriend (Michael) in the Marines,'” Mary said.
Loaded with medication, she was able to rejoin the group for the trip back to Michigan.
“I’m so thankful to the group,” Mary said. “One of the greatest compliments to a leader is to know you’re not needed. You can leave at a moment’s notice and people will step up to take responsibility.”
She and fellow staff members had all received the highest level of Red Cross lifesaving training two days before the trip, which helped save her daughter’s life.
“Training is so important ? you never know,” Mary said.
The training, Walz’ presence where and when he was most needed, and the quick, effective treatment by medical professionals all went into saving her daughter, Mary said.
“It’s the work of the Holy Spirit, no doubt in my mind,” she said. “Everyone there, here at St. Dan, and Clarkston United Methodist Church (where Mary used to work) were praying for us. That’s what helped her through.”