Family behind Westpac helicopter appeal
Remembering the words ‘‘your husband is dead’’ still sends a chill down Carolyn Eggersspine.
Her husband Chris collapsed with no warning on the golf course in Tirau on October 18, 2015.
She raced through traffic to get to her husband and upon arrival saw the Westpac Chopper was already there.
‘‘I thought, thank god it’s here,’’ Carolyn Eggers said.
‘‘He was white and attached to everything under the sun.
‘‘If the chopper hadn’t of been there, he well and truly wouldn’t have made it.’’
Chris legally died for ten minutes after having a cardiac arrest.
Seven months later he still has trouble piecing the events together.
‘‘I imagine I wouldn’t have made it. I understand it was all down to minutes,’’ Chris Eggers said.
‘‘The ambulance service does a great job but I wouldn’t have made a forty-minute ride.’’
Friends said he was getting ready to tee off when out of the blue they heard a thud.
‘‘They thought he had tripped on something, then realised he wasn’t moving,’’ Carolyn Eggers said.
Chris was in a coma for three days. Doctors could not find why he had a cardiac arrest so a defibrillator was put into his chest.
The road to recovery has been steady as the family adjusted to the changes in their lives.
‘‘They’ve done hundreds of tests and there’s nothing they can find.’’
‘‘You think that’s a pain cause you’d like to know what caused it but they say it’s a good thing because it means that’s it’s possibly not a hereditary condition that you’ve passed on to your kids.’’
The couple are thankful for the help they received and will be behind this year’s Westpac chopper appeal.
Westpac Putaruru, with the help of a few local businesses, are hosting a movie night on Saturday 21st May at 7pm.
Star Wars The Force Awakens will be held at the Plaza Putaruru.
Refreshments and chopper merchandise will be available to purchase.
‘‘Thank you for everyone involved.
‘‘You just never know when your going to need these services and if we don’t support them they not going to be here.’’