Today is Day 5 of the #30bbdaysofgratitude challenge, and today’s topic is FAMILY. I have, I believe, more reason to be grateful than most. Despite losing my amazing Mum to secondary breast cancer in 2014, I feel very honoured to have had 30+ years of a wonderfully close mother and daughter relationship. I have no regrets, and she passed away knowing I was happy and healthy, and that she was loved by everyone around her. On the flip side – quite frankly, it is a miracle my Dad is still with us, and this is something I am thankful for every single day. Dad’s story sounds like it has been made up – you simply couldn’t write it, and at times I have to pinch myself to believe the story. Without various simple turns of fate, or sliding doors moments, my father simply wouldn’t be here today.

First, a little bit of background is needed. My dad worked for the NHS for around 8 years prior to his retirement. One of his final projects before he retired was the opening of a walk in centre – a drop in centre dealing with minor illnesses and injuries enabling people to be seen by a doctor quickly when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get an appointment with their GP. He was very proud of this project. During the project phase, one of the key decisions my father was involved in was a decision about whether a defibrillator should be held on the premises. Being on the site of the hospital, and therefore just minutes away from the A&E department, many people on the project team felt it wasn’t necessary. Dad however is a perfectionist, and to not have one just didn’t sit well. He pushed for it, and eventually it was agreed that one could be held on site. Dad was a great project manager, and as such, the project ran to time, and the walk in centre opened as scheduled.

Fast forward to September 2009, and Dad started to feel unwell. It was around the time of the swine flu pandemic and as such, when he had trouble sleeping, some night sweats and other strange symptoms – he thought he may have succumbed. Being a stubborn man however, he didn’t tell anyone he was feeling rough, and kept on insisting he was ok. Eventually my Mum put her foot down and told him to go the walk in centre – after all – that’s what it was there for.

He eventually gave in, and allowed my Mum to drop him off at the walk in centre ready for when it opened 8am.

This is where it gets spooky! Dad was greeted by some of his old friends and colleagues, and they joked that he wasn’t there in a professional capacity but that he was feeling unwell. He went into the doctors room and started to explain how he was feeling when it hit him – he had a heart attack right there and then, standing in front of a doctor. Now if you must have a heart attack, this is a pretty good place to have one, as the action they took was pretty much instantaneous. Dad had flat lined – his heart had completely stopped. The Doctor who was with him had re-taken his defibrillator training earlier that week – and as such, was about as prepared as someone can be in that situation. He used the centre’s defibrillator, the one that my Dad had insisted upon, and bought my Dad back from the brink of death, restarting his heart before transferring him to Heartlands for life saving surgery.

7 years on and Dad is still with us, and stronger than ever, now walking for over an hour every day to keep himself fit and active. Thanks to the walk in centre, my Dad has been around to see the arrival of not one, not two, but THREE grandchildren, and is shortly expecting to meet his forth.

Fate really did play a part in saving his life….

1. If Dad had been slightly less anal regarding his project plans, the walk in centre may not have ran to schedule. Had the project timescales slipped, the walk in centre may not have even been there, in which case, Dad may have simply waited for an appointment with his GP. This would inevitably have been too late.
2. If Dad had been less stubborn regarding the defibrillator on site, he may have given in and accepted that one in A&E was sufficient. If he had done so, Dad would have inevitably have passed away in the time it took them to get him to the main hospital building.
3. If he had been anywhere else that day, or had waited just a few minutes longer  before heading to the walk in centre, he wouldn’t have been in front of a doctor – particularly not one who had just refreshed his training!

It just goes to show sometimes it simply isn’t your time. I will be forever grateful to fate for playing it’s  part that day and for keeping my Dad with us. Definitely one to be grateful for! 🙂

Lucy xxx