A grateful patient has donated £5,000 to our charity in recognition of the excellent care he received at Medway Maritime Hospital.
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’ 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, went skiing in Whistler, Canada, with Brenda, Mikaela, son-in-law, Justin, and three-year-grandson Nathan.
Recovering from his recent heart surgery meant he did not go off-piste on powder runs, or ski down the black routes; instead he spent his time on the lower slopes with his grandson.
Asked why he wanted to donate, 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, Charity and Fundraising Manager, 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.”