A woman whose heart stopped twice at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary hosted a huge party to raise cash for the hospital.
Anne Walker, 60, from Hepworth, suffers from a rare neurological condition, myasthenia gravis, where the brain’s signals are blocked from reaching a specific area.
In extreme cases the brain’s message telling her to breathe can even be affected.
Anna was admitted into the medical assessment unit at HRI in October 2013 after having a myasthenic crisis at home and was transferred into the intensive care unit (ICU) when her condition deteriorated.
In ICU she was put into a medically induced coma to and remained on a ventilator for four days and during this time her heart stopped.
But she survived and has now raised £1,500 for the ward with a special party to celebrate her recent landmark birthday.
Anne, a former caterer, said: “I was resting in bed and I experienced a real tightness around my throat. And then all the machines went off and I was surrounded by doctors and nurses.
“My heart stopped twice and I realise I am lucky to be here and always wanted to be able to say thank-you properly to the ICU team.”
The money they raised will go towards a refurbishment of the relatives’ room.
Throughout her ordeal, Anne’s husband Michael waited by her side and also spent a lot of his time in room situated on the ward.
He said: “We specifically wanted the money to go directly to ICU because we really appreciate their calm and professional attitude and the way they go about their job.”
Senior Sister, Denise Cunningham, said: “Relatives become quickly exhausted when they have loved ones on ICU which can involve long periods of time. When relatives wish to stay on the ward we use the relatives’ room to make them feel more comfortable and relaxed.
“The room is also used for private conversations with relatives by the ICU nurses and doctors and again it is important for it to be smart and comfortable.
“This donation will help us to achieve the refurbishment now and we are extremely grateful to Anne and Michael.”
Anne’s 60th party lasted over two days and featured a big band playing on her decking.
She added: “You never know what you want for gifts after 60 years, so it was a great opportunity to raise a donation. I just wasn’t expecting so much!
“We have a great group of family and friends and we are very grateful for their generosity.”
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