It’s not something that any family should have to confront but Terry Mackey and Nicole Barron of Mount Pearl could only watch hopelessly as their days-old son Mason was airlifted from St. John’s for the children’s hospital in Halifax Friday night with a life-threatening blockage in an artery.

Despite Mason being a newborn, neither parent was permitted by Air Ambulance to accompany him on the flight. They took a commercial flight out the next morning.

It was touch and go for a while but Mason has steadily improved as vital organs such as kidneys and liver were initially compromised.

Doctors expect to surgically remove the blockage in a day or so.

Nicole’s cousin, Amy Goulding-Clarke, has begun a GoFundMe to help the family through the rough period. They have two other children who stayed behind in Mount Pearl and are being cared for by family and friends.