How Great Ormond Street Hospital saved my life after a blood vessel burst inside my head
I was just eight years old when I woke up screaming with blood flooding my brain
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Your support makes all the difference.I almost died 27 years ago. I was eight at the time and fast asleep, on a cold December morning in 1988.
A weak blood vessel inside my head burst and started flooding my brain. I woke up screaming, consumed by the throbbing, ever-increasing pain in my head.
I was rushed to my local hospital in Welwyn Garden City. The doctors there tried to treat me, but after several hours I was still having seizures, so I was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) with my parents. Upon arrival, they watched in horror as a brain scan revealed a huge swelling that was pushing my brain to one side.
I underwent a five hour operation, where a surgeon released the pressure and stopped the bleeding. A few hours later my parents were allowed to see me, although I remained in a deep coma.
In one of the hospital's day rooms there was a camp bed that my parents were able to sleep in, which meant they could stay in the ward and be close by. The support they received from the hospital kept them going throughout the ordeal, especially during the long days they spent waiting for me to wake up.
I regained consciousness after 10 days of being in a coma. I was still paralysed down my left side, but I was myself again. I stayed there for a few more days before I got moved back to my local hospital to start intensive physio – just in time to make it home for Christmas Eve.
Over the next five years I went back to GOSH for various check ups. It's terrifying to think that without their help I would have had my life cut short at such a young age. But because of their speed and expertise, I'm able to sit here and say that I've enjoyed a full and happy life ever since.
I don’t remember much of my first experience with GOSH as I wasn’t conscious for most of it. But every time I returned to the hospital I saw how it was changing. Old wards (including the one I had stayed on) were being knocked down, and new wards were being built. On each visit, I could see how donations were helping benefit the children and their families. It's been such a wonderful thing to watch.
Over the years my family has continued to support the hospital, although to be honest I don't think I'll ever be able to repay it properly after what they did.
Twenty-seven years later and I now have two children of my own. It's hard not to worry about what could happen to them, or what could suddenly happen in the middle of the night. But there is comfort of knowing that if anything did happen, a hospital like GOSH will always be there to help.
If you Give to GOSH, your donation will be matched by the Government, doubling its amount. To donate go to: http://ind.pn/1Mydxqt
To find out more about our appeal and why we're supporting GOSH go to: http://ind.pn/1MycZkrNATE
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