When my daughter set up this Just Giving page she had faced the uncertainty, and the reality, of almost losing her Dad and had gone through the prospect of perhaps not seeing him again with the reality of the distance and time to travel to Spain amidst his critical situation. That we live in a world that makes travel so fast, that has the grace of very gifted surgeons, doctors, nurses and healing minds all around the world sending strength, and that Spain is a country graced with an exemplary health service and the most generous people all of us have ever had the virtue to meet, meant he not only survived against the odds, she too was embraced by their kindness and care and the hardship of distance gave way to gladness and thanks for the many miracles and moments of wonder that we all experienced. We all knew very quickly that miracles do happen and those miracles of timing, geography and skill had to happen together for her Dad to survive. Today he continues to do well.
Despite working all night to save my husband's life, the surgeons realised at 5 am I had no where to go and they walked me round the city and found me a hotel after many were found to be full. The doctor from the first hospital drove me an hour and a half to the hospital my husband was transferred to. She offered. She was glad to. They were not the first kindnesses of the day and over the next 5 weeks the depth of the human spirit and the wonder of it just kept on giving. I have worked with the will and knowing and belief in that human spirit within in all for most of my life. In the worst of times I could only have thanks and joy for it every day, it not only proved itself to be real and total, it gave me a husband to continue to love and be close to for more time to come. Most importantly of all, it gave my daughter her Dad back and our grandchildren their grandad.
Our personal honour is to bring a fund to the hospital to reduce the stress of finances for those not so able to bear them.