A patient has donated £5,000 to The Medway Hospital Charity in recognition of the excellent care he received at Medway Maritime Hospital.
In October 2024, Chris Mills (77), a retired airline pilot, was found on the ground, unresponsive and without a pulse, near Dockside outlet shopping centre by off-duty nurse, Rachael Lewis.
She administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, saving his life.
Upon arrival at Medway Maritime Hospital, Chris was assessed and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
He said: “I didn’t realise that there was anything wrong with me. I’d never had heart problems before. One moment I was walking with my wife Brenda and the next I felt things fade away. When I woke up I thought I was in Canada as my daughter, Mikaela, was there.”
Brenda said: “As Canada is five hours behind, Mikaela was able to jump on a plane and rush to the hospital. We were so thankful she was there when Chris woke up.”
Once stabilised, Chris was moved to the Coronary Care Unit and then to Bronte Ward. During his three-and-a-half week stay in Medway, he underwent a variety of diagnostic scans and tests, which revealed he needed a triple heart bypass.
Chris was then transferred to St Thomas’ Hospital in London where he underwent major heart surgery before returning home to St Mary’s Island. Thankfully he has made a speedy recovery and just months later, Chris is walking five kilometres a day, and in March, went skiing in Whistler, Canada, with Brenda, Mikaela, son-in-law, Justin, and three-year-grandson Nathan.
Chris said: “I was looked after incredibly well by everyone at the hospital. This gift to The Medway Hospital Charity is to say thank you for saving my life and for providing such excellent care.”
Donna Law, Head of Charity, said: “We were delighted to receive this unexpected, incredibly generous donation from Chris and Brenda. It’s always so lovely to hear from patients who have received the best of care. We will use this gift to further enhance patient experience at Medway Maritime Hospital by providing those extras that fall outside of the NHS budget.”
This story is one of several to be featured in the new edition of the Trust’s News@Medway magazine. This can be read online now, with hard copies available from Medway Maritime Hospital.
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