Peter says he’s lucky to be alive after suffering 16 heart attacks

AN Angus dad says he’s lucky to be alive after suffering an astonishing 16 heart attacks.

Now recovering at home, Peter Morrison, 57, and his wife Beth from Monifieth, praised the extraordinary NHS staff at Ninewells who saved his life.

Peter said: “After a very difficult few weeks following my heart attacks, I am recuperating at home with my amazing family.

“I want to pay tribute to the extraordinary staff at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee who saved my life while under enormous pressure also coping with the current Covid-19 outbreak.”

Peter added: “Like many others, I joined in the applause last week.

“Great as that was, when this is over, let’s make sure we don’t forget what they do for us every day, not just i n the current crisis.

“The care and concern shown by every single member of staff from doctors, nurses, student nurses, auxiliaries, porters and cleaners cheered me up and made me feel very humble and in awe.

“As I self isolate, they are in my thoughts every day for what they are now dealing with.”

Peter’s wife Beth explained that the couple’s nightmare began on Sunday three weeks ago.

Beth said: “Peter woke me at about 7.45am telling me he was going to drive himself to hospital because he was having difficulty breathing and his chest was very tight.

“I immediately phoned NHS 24, but when I was on the phone Peter collapsed.

“An ambulance arrived very quickly and the paramedics then spent an hour in the house and in the ambulance outside.

“They told me Peter was having a heart attack and they took him to the hospital’s coronary care unit.”

After being rushed to the hospital, Beth said Peter was doing well – but things took a serious turn for the worse a week later.

She got a call from the hospital just after midnight to tell her Peter was deteriorating rapidly and she should get to the hospital as quickly as she could.

Peter was having a second heart attack and then, horrifyingly, endured another.

In total, he suffered 14 episodes over a three-hour period, during which medics literally had to shock his heart back to normality.