Barry Anderson had a stroke in February 2019 when he was 75 and was airlifted to Auckland Hospital. Photo / Andrew Warner
Barry Anderson had a stroke in February 2019 when he was 75 and was airlifted to Auckland Hospital. Photo / Andrew Warner
Barry Anderson would be "a dead duck" if it weren't for the TECT rescue helicopter.
In February 2019, the 78-year-old suffered a stroke in the living room of his Tauranga home.
His wife, Barbara Anderson, recognised the signs of a stroke as a retired nurse and called the ambulance. Hewas taken to Tauranga Hospital and then airlifted to Auckland Hospital, where he had lifesaving surgery.
"Without the ambulance service I received, the medical attention I received in Tauranga and then in Auckland, I'd be a dead duck now."
Anderson is sharing his story as the annual appeal begins for the TECT Rescue helicopter.
Pilot Liam Brettkelly said the appeal was about awareness and the opportunity to raise "needed funds". The service got Government funding, but also needed to "top that up" with community support and local sponsorships.
His grandson Tomas Clark, who was 12 at the time, was staying nearby with his father and found Anderson on the floor.
He went for help and Barbara then came on to the scene, Anderson said.
He recalls hearing Barbara say: "You've had a stroke".
Barbara called the emergency services while Clark went onto the street to wait for the ambulance and give it directions.
"They were cruising at the time through Bethlehem village and they were able to come to us inside of 10 minutes. It was just marvellous because time was critical."
The ambulance took him to Tauranga Hospital where he had CT scans of his brain.
"There was a great clot jammed in the main vein heading up to the brain."
Tauranga Hospital contacted Auckland Hospital who advised to get Anderson to Auckland "as quick as you can".
Barry Anderson is encouraging people to donate to the annual chopper appeal. Photo / Andrew Warner
Barbara accompanied him in the helicopter, which landed on the roof of Auckland Hospital.
Anderson was put on a stretcher and taken to the theatre "quick smart".
"[They] then conducted a clot retrieval which required sticking a catheter up through my groin, through my heart, out the other side and up through the back of my neck and up through the vein going up to the brain.
"They took it [the clot] all the way back down through the catheter, out through my groin ... and threw it in a bucket."
Two to three hours later, he woke up.
"I was starting to feel fine straight away - it was incredible - because there was a surge of blood going to the right places again.
"I'm just ever so grateful - nothing but praise for the medical attention and service.
"I've got a future. I am one of the lucky ones."
TECT Rescue helicopter pilot Liam Brettkelly pictured in 2019. Photo / Andrew Warner
TECT Rescue helicopter pilot Liam Brettkelly said donating to the helicopter was a worthy cause because: "We're there for everybody - you never know when you need a service like ours. You want it there."
He said it had been "really busy" recently and did 19 call-outs in seven days two weeks ago, which was "record-breaking".
"We're probably doing two jobs a day at least on average across the year."
He said the calls were a mix between inter-hospital transfers and flying patients to hospital from rural areas.
'Without that community support we wouldn't exist."
