A Canadian couple whose dream cruise turned into a five-week medical nightmare have thanked Inverness and Aberdeen hospital staff for coming to their rescue.
John and Susan Brown had been enjoying the trip of a lifetime aboard a Scandinavian and UK cruise this summer.
The vessel docked in Invergordon on July 4 and the pair, in their mid-70s, joined a coach tour headed for Inverness Cathedral.
But, after a drink and slice of cake at the cafe there, Susan fell on the pavement – requiring urgent attention.
Rushed to Aberdeen at 2am
She was rushed to Raigmore Hospital with her husband by her side. But they had to wait in the ambulance for three hours before an emergency department bed was available.
Doctors found Susan had a severe bleed on her brain, and insisted she was transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment.
John said: “We undertook a blue-light emergency run across pot-holed roads and roadworks for some two hours and 15 minutes.
“All the time, the medics inside the ambulance were remaining upbeat and positive even though it was 2am.
“Yes, you could say they were doing their job, but the compassion they showed my wife and me exceeded all expectations.”
Taxi driver’s eight-hour rescue effort
Unfortunately, this was far from the end of the story for the couple, now some 3,300 miles away from their home in Wasaga Beach, Ontario.
When they arrived at the hospital, it dawned on John that he only had £10 in cash.
The rest of their belongings, including their credit cards, were still aboard the cruise ship – which had already left Invergordon for its next destination.
But, in what he calls “another random act of kindness,” one of the doctors sent someone who offered them a “significant” sum of cash to tide them over during their stay.
At the same time, an Inverness taxi driver headed out to Ullapool to pick up the couple’s luggage from the docked vessel, then deliver it to Aberdeen.
Despite the eight-hour round trip, he refused any compensation for his efforts.
Praise for ‘outstanding’ medics
Susan remained in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for five weeks while she recovered from the fall.
She required two cranial operations to remove the bleeds, and another procedure to prevent clots from travelling to her brain.
The couple have praised the “outstanding” neuro ward team for their care throughout the process.
John said: “Brain trauma can be a real rollercoaster ride, with many highs and then lows.
“But we rode out those big emotional waves, having faith in the doctors and carers.”
He feels it is important to speak out and let people know about the kind-hearted people willing to go above and beyond in the north of Scotland.
And even when the couple were waiting to fly back home – staying at the Pinehurst Lodge Hotel – they were well looked after.
“The owner went beyond all expectations to make our brief stay as comfortable as possible, even scouring the locality to find a suitable suitcase for our additional clothes,” John said.
‘Tremendous people’ working in hospitals
Since arriving home, Susan has had another operation to aid her recovery.
She is also receiving weekly physiotherapy sessions to help regain her strength and stamina.
John added: “The national news is filled with so many negative stories these days, we need to stand up and talk about the positive ones.
“I was a little disturbed by an article I read about booing in A&E in Aberdeen. It was a mirror image of similar headlines in Canadian journals.
“All hospitals around the world continue to struggle in this semi post-Covid environment.
“ARI is no different, however, people need to know there are tremendous people in these hospitals, doctors and nurses, that are doing their very best.
“They will overcome, as they did for Susan.”
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