An Orkney man who suffered a life-threatening aneurysm in Thailand a year ago has opened his heart about the experience and his recovery process.
Owen Auskerry hit the headlines a year ago when he had to be airlifted to hospital in Bangkok for emergency brain surgery after a blood vessel burst in his brain – known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage.
About three in five people who this happens to die within two weeks.
The 25-year-old flew home to Orkney the following month and moved to Edinburgh, where he is now promoting himself as a DJ, offering DJ lessons, and also recently launched his own radio station, The 59th Degree.
Despite still experiencing short term memory loss and difficulty sleeping, he remains hopeful of making a full recovery within the next six months.
Mr Auskerry is also considering campaigning to raise awareness about ruptured brain aneurysms and their symptoms, how to react and what to avoid to prevent them.
He said that he felt “incredibly lucky” to be alive a year on and grateful for the support from friends and family he had at the time and since.
“I did not realise in hospital how serious it was, in the week after the operation when I regained consciousness,” he said.
“It was only when I got home and was reading that the chances of survival from a ruptured brain aneurysm were about 40% that I realised.
“I feel even more lucky to have the people around me. There has been a huge wave of love from people, and I have been continually surprised with the support.”
Mr Auskerry was in Thailand working as a teacher when he suddenly became ill – suffering severe headaches, seizures and vomiting.
His girlfriend at the time called an ambulance and he was airlifted from his home in Nakhon Si Thammarat to hospital in Bangkok, 380 miles away, where he underwent three hours of surgery.
Mr Auskerry’s social media followers helped raise £29,000 to help with medical bills and his parents accommodation costs in Thailand.
He has also used some of the funds for his rent and food, as he has been unable to work a full-time job due to persistent medical issues.
His radio station, launched three months ago, is currently running two nights a week and aims to give DJs across the city the opportunity to play and be heard, and Mr Auskerry serves as the MC under the pseudonym MetraGnome.
He added: “Eventually the plan is to have a full radio station with a studio. I am in the bedroom at the moment and have about 7,000 listeners but it’s building some traction, and I’ll really need more than 10,000 to make some money out of it. I am already looking to try and get sponsorship.”