Mum Sam tells how Harry, son of Andrew 'Cosi' Costello, struggles to live after an anesthetic reaction

Mother-of-three Sam Costello has shared the heart-wrenching story of how her son fought for his life after a strange reaction to the drug while he was agonizingly waiting on the phone.

Sam, who is in Covid lockdown with her media personality husband Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello, said every hour ‘seems like a lifetime’ as he awaited news of whether his son Harry, 22, would survive.

It was only through a few big strokes of luck and quick reactions by medical professionals that he did.

Sam Costello is living through a nightmare as his son is fighting for his life in the hospital while he can only wait on the phone praying for good news

Harry, who is Sam’s son from a previous relationship, went to Adelaide’s Burnside hospital for routine shoulder reconstruction in early April.

Sam dropped Harry off around mid-morning, but when he got home he found he had to self-isolate as Andrew tested positive for Covid.

Even though Harry texted him before the operation with no apparent concern, Sam felt uneasy.

He knew the procedure to repair the damage Harry had done from his skiing and repeated football injuries would take a while, but decided to call the hospital to check less than two hours after he had surgery.

The hospital promised to call back when Harry was recovering.

Sam waited half an hour and then called to find Harry still in surgery.

Harry Costello went to hospital for routine shoulder reconstruction but had a potentially lethal reaction to anesthesia.

“About 15 minutes later my phone rang and I just assumed it was a nurse and when I answered the phone it was a surgeon,” Sam told The Advertiser.

“I just thought that he called me to let me know that everything was fine.

‘ He asked ‘ am I alone? which I thought was an odd thing to ask and he told me something was very wrong.

‘A phone call with a surgeon may last for about four minutes, but it seems like a lifetime.’

Harry was suffering from malignant hyperthermia, which is a rare but very severe reaction to anesthetic gases and doctors did everything they could to save his life.

Surgeons expressed confidence they could complete the procedure and stabilize Harry.

The medical team realized something was wrong when Harry started moving his legs and arms and his temperature rose.

Doctors fear that Harry’s temperature rise could be fatal or cause brain damage.

As his body temperature rose by a degree and a half, the medical staff reacted quickly.

Harry is the stepdaughter of media magnate Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello

Harry was placed in an ice bag, something that hospitals usually don’t have.

Meanwhile the staff were running through the ward to get more ice from the fridge to place around Harry.

Sam said despite ambulances queuing outside all of Adelaide’s main hospitals, Harry had the extraordinary luck that the critical care team from Royal Adelaide were on their way and arrived at Harry within minutes.

Harry was given a life-saving drug that Burnside Hospital had not used for 10 years because it was only prescribed for malignant hyperthermia.

The ambulance also transports more ice and the medicine Harry needs to Burnside.

Andrew Costello (center) with his family (from left) Harry, Matilda, Sam and Charli-Rose

After the surgeons finished the operation, Harry was left on ice to make sure the gas left his system.

Sam said waiting for news was ‘the loneliest feeling he’s ever felt’.

He told Andrew what had happened but they decided to keep it a secret from their daughters Matilda, 13, and Charli-Rose, 14.

Harry was also lucky the operations team from the theater next door had just completed surgery and were scrubbed and ready to support Harry’s team with his treatment.

Harry, here seen on his world journey, is in a coma after suffering a bad reaction to anesthesia

Luckily, beds were available at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which was better prepared for Harry’s situation.

He was transferred there that night at 7pm and fell into a coma, which caused more nightmares for Sam as he worried whether his son would show up and if what brain injury he might have.

‘Every hour feels like a lifetime. I don’t think I really started to think about what the long-term effects would be – it’s just “keep him alive, keep him alive”,’ says Sam.

Harry, who survived a rare and lethal anesthetic reaction, poses with the AFL mascot Adelaide Crows

Sam was told Harry could be on a ventilator for two to three days and they wouldn’t get him out of the coma if they were worried the gas was still in his system.

Later that night, a female doctor tells Sam that she is going to wake Harry up a bit from his coma to see if he has any brain damage.

When Harry was partially conscious of the coma, he could wiggle his toes and fingers to answer questions.

The female doctor called Sam again and said she thought Harry would make a full recovery.

The plan was to wake Harry completely from his coma the next morning.

Sam says reassurance allows him to sleep despite reflecting on his family’s history of tragedy.

Harry now lives and works in England

When Sam called the hospital shortly after 6am the next morning, they told him Harry had awakened from his coma 15 minutes earlier.

Sam goes on FaceTime with Harry and his first question is about his sister Charli-Rose and how she is doing in the dance competition.

Harry had no idea what had happened and how lucky he was. He has left Australia to travel and live in the UK.

While luck played a huge role in Harry’s survival, Sam said he was very grateful to the medical staff who saved his life.

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