Summary
Boyne Island resident Chris Wells made an emotional return to Gladstone Hospital recently, his first visit since surviving a major heart attack on July 7.
On that day, Chris was rushed from the ambulance ramp directly into a resuscitation bay, where a dedicated team of doctors and nurses worked tirelessly for hours to save his life.
Just over a month after that traumatic day, Chris was able to walk back through the Emergency Department doors, this time to personally thank the staff who helped save his life.
Chris was thrilled to reconnect with Dr Charinda Rathnadeera, one of the doctors who treated him, and pass on some glowing praise from his cardiac specialist in Brisbane.
“I probably had five or six people around me for something like seven hours before I was stable enough to be transferred by the Royal Flying Doctor Service,” Chris said.
“The pain was excruciating. I really thought it was the end. I am very grateful to the doctor who took the great decision to give me blood clot busting and blood thinning medication and the nurse who stayed by my side, supported me and gave me pain relief.
“The cardiologist said the doctors here did a fantastic job, which made his job a lot easier, and that they had probably saved my life and definitely saved me from further complications, like open heart surgery.”
Dr Rathnadeera was very moved by Chris’s willingness to return to the ED to say a personal thank you.
“It was so good to see Chris like this, smiling and happy. I am glad I could be part of the team who looked after him.”
While the nurses who directly cared for Chris (Lauren, Simone and Sally) weren’t on-shift when Chris came to visit, they were thrilled to know he was on the road to recovery.
Chris also credits his wife Sheryl, who first resuscitated him at home, and paramedic Adam and the Queensland Ambulance Service who raced him to hospital “at warp speed” with saving his life.
Thanks to their quick actions and the expert care at Gladstone Hospital Emergency Department, Chris was able to celebrate his 64th birthday on August 5 and says he is looking forward to many more.
“I reckon they’ve given me another 30 years - I will be forever grateful for my second chance at life.”
Gladstone Hospital Director of Emergency Medicine, Dr Dilip Kumar, said Chris’s visit was a powerful reminder of why the team does what they do.
“Our staff are deeply committed to providing the highest level of care, often in high-pressure situations.
“Our clinicians undertake intensive training, specifically developed for Gladstone Emergency Department by our senior consultants, to ensure that when every second counts, we are working as one highly-skilled and finely-tuned team.
“To see a patient like Chris return, healthy and full of life, is incredibly rewarding. It means the world to our team.”
Chris’s story is a testament to the strength of coordinated emergency care. From the first response at home to the hospital’s frontline team, it serves as a reminder of the life-changing impact of skilled, compassionate healthcare.