999 Critical Condition: Single mum looks forward to living life after life-saving care at UHNM
A 41-year-old single mum is looking forward to living her life and spending quality time with her son after receiving life-saving care at University Hospitals of North Midlands.
Joanna Watts was admitted to the major trauma centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital with a brain aneurysm or bleed on the brain and her case will be featured on the second episode of UHNMs exclusive documentary on Channel 5 999 Critical Condition on Thursday (31 Sept) at 9pm.
UHNM has been at the forefront of pioneering mechanical thrombectomy treatment and was the first in the UK to offer a 24/7 service.
Joanna suffered from extreme pain while in bed at home and called an ambulance. After initial assessment at her local hospital in Crewe she was transferred to the specialist stroke services available at University Hospital of Royal Stoke.
Joanna said: “I have found the whole experience very surreal. It wasn’t until I left the hospital that it actually hit me what had happened but I was relieved I was taken to the right place. It wasn’t until I did some research after that I realised just how close to death I came and I have struggled a lot with that, especially as I am a single mum.”
She added: “I am quite an upbeat person but I have been very anxious but now I want to live for today and tomorrow and not for yesterday and spend quality time with my son who is now seven.”
Joanna was in hospital for two weeks and spent a week on critical care and was then transferred to a ward to continue her recovery.
“I am eternally grateful to everyone involved in my care. They saved my life at the end of the day. I am also grateful to the nurses in critical care who looked after me and washed my hair after my operation. It’s small things like this that helped me to start to feel more normal again,” Joanna said.
Thursday’s episode also includes a 17-year-old girl critically injured in a car crash in North Wales. Her parents race to her side while trauma team leader Dr Richard Hall works to identify her injuries and get her to emergency surgery.
And in resus, a patient’s heart stops multiple times while Dr Hari Mandava battles to save his life.
This unflinching episode of 999 Critical Condition delivers an intimate portrait of life-saving medicine through the eyes of those who live it – the staff and the patients.