Business figure’s pain from virus rampage
CAIRNS businessman Graham “Braschy” Brasch has revealed the shocking toll coronavirus wreaked on his body and its subsequent effect on his family.
Mr Brasch, 77, is believed to have contracted the virus during a trip to the US city of New York.
“I definitely felt crook,” Mr Brasch said.
The former Cairns councillor was admitted to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in March as its first COVID-19 patient.
“I do remember coming out of the ambulance but the next eight weeks were oblivion,” Mr Brasch said.
“I didn’t feel a thing, didn’t know where I was. I was in the ICU for five weeks.”
During his four months in care, the virus attacked Mr Brasch’s lungs, kidneys and bowel. He was placed on dialysis for three weeks.
“The doctors said ‘this bloke is a fighter,’” Mr Brasch said.
“They cut me down from belly button to wherever, removed eight inches of my bowel and gave me a stoma.”
He said his family pulled together to make life-altering decisions with medical staff.
“We have four wonderful daughters, they all rallied around, it brought them together,” he said.
“They suffered terribly making life-and-death decisions with the doctors.”
Mr Brasch pleaded with those flouting COVID-19 restrictions to “think of the families”.
“There should be more we and less me. They say we are all in this together, but clearly some of them aren’t,” he said.
“The frivolousness of good time at the expense of all — what sort of mentality is that?”