An Aberdeenshire woman is planning to provide two new defibrillators for her village after winning £10,000 – just a week after her husband almost died.
Michelle Birnie-Mackintosh’s husband Greg is still unable to remember her name, or his four children’s, after having three cardiac arrests on the way to hospital and being put in an induced coma.
He fell ill at home in Premnay, near Insch, on March 1, with his wife calling 999 after his skin turned an almost translucent silvery grey colour, and he had a cold sweat.
Mrs Birnie-Mackintosh said: “I asked him how his arms were and he said they were a bit tingly.
“Then he said his chest felt a little tight, and he went to the toilet and was sick.
“I said, ‘I think you’re having a heart attack’ – I must admit, we watch a lot of 999: What’s Your Emergency, so something must have sunk in. ”
After paramedics used defibrillators to restart his heart several times on the journey, Mr Mackintosh was placed in intensive care, and two days later was transferred to the Golden Jubilee National Hospital near Glasgow.
Another devastating blow
Mrs Birnie-Mackintosh was initially told it was unlikely her husband would make it through the night, but days later he woke up from his coma – only for another hurdle to be placed in their way, as it became clear he had lost his memory.
She said: “He recognises us, but he doesn’t know us.
“He gets quite frustrated, and he does say, ‘Oh, I should know who you are,’ and then he’ll go through a whole host of names of who he thinks I am.
“I tell him my name, and he gets really upset saying, ‘I know that I should know that, but I just don’t know.’
“I show him pictures of the kids, and he says, ‘Oh, I know that I should know who these people are, but I don’t know who they are.’
“It’s hard, I think this is the most emotionally draining part.”
‘Mind-blowing’ twist
It was while her husband was still being treated in the Golden Jubilee Hospital that Mrs Birnie-Mackintosh learned her life had changed for the second time in a week.
Before her husband fell ill, she had entered one of Bounty Competitions’ giveaways – which was far from her mind as she anxiously waited for news from the hospital.
She recalled: “On the Monday I’d just been on the phone to the hospital, speaking to them down in Glasgow.
“They said, ‘One of the consultants will give you a call tonight, it’ll be a video call because obviously you’re not down in Glasgow.’
“So I said that’s fine, I’d literally just put the phone down to them and my phone started ringing with a video call.
“I, obviously, just assumed that the doctor must have been free straight away, so answered this video call.”
Instead, it was Calvin and Leanne Davidson who run Bounty Competitions calling to tell her she had won £10,000 for herself, £10,000 for a charity of her choice – Abernecessities and a four-bedroom home in Bridge of Don.
“It was just completely mind-blowing,” Mrs Birnie-Mackintosh said. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet, if I’m honest.”
Making a meaningful impact
She knew most of the money would help to relieve the pressure resulting from her husband’s condition and their inability to work, but she also believed the rest could achieve some good for her community.
She said: “I’d been thinking I want to do something meaningful with the money, but I just couldn’t think what.
“Then one day it just came to me. We’ve got one defibrillator in the village which is situated in the pub – which is perfect, because it is in the centre of the village.
“But Premnay’s quite a widespread village, so had he had the cardiac arrest in the house, there’s no way I could have run to the pub and back and made it back in time. He’d have been gone.”
She thought if there was a defibrillator available at the northern end of the village, where her family lives, and another at the southern end of the village, nobody would have to worry about being too far away to save a life.
Mrs Birnie-Mackintosh has put £3,000 of her winnings towards a set of the life-saving equipment, and is now crowdfunding another £3,000 for a second set.
In the story to accompany the fundraiser, she writes: “Any donations are much appreciated. This machine saved my husbands life.
“Without it I would be planning a funeral, not thinking about all the things we can do.”
