The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Traumatic birth on anniversary
Family heirloom cup marks Abbie’s arrival on the 30-year milestone of the health service
Rushed to Ninewells Hospital “bleeding everywhere” as she went into labour, Louise Myers did not expect her baby to be born. Complications arose as the placenta was the wrong way around, but due to the work of NHS staff, Abbie was born alive and well. That was 40 years ago, on the 30th anniversary of the health service. The family was given a commemorative cup, as were all mothers giving birth that day. The memento has special importance to the family and they have kept it ever since. Abbie’s birth featured in The Courier four decades ago as part of coverage of the NHS milestone. To mark its 70th anniversary and Abbie’s 40th birthday the family is expressing its gratitude to the NHS. Louise, who was 22 at the time of her daughter’s birth, said: “When I had Abbie on the day, everything went wrong. It was an emergency. “We had to be rushed through by ambulance from Arbroath to Ninewells, which was quite new at the time. “On two occasions the ambulance had to stop because they thought I was about to give birth. “The placenta was coming first and it was a time before scans so that would have been detected now. “I was all set up for a section but another doctor managed to move the placenta and within minutes I just wanted to push, so Abbie was born fairly quickly after that. I had no knowledge at all that the NHS was celebrating its 30-year anniversary. “But someone came in the afternoon asking if I’d be happy having my photo taken and that they were going to give mugs to all the babies who were born on that day. “I was ecstatic. It was really nice.” The cup inscribed Presented by the Secretary of State for Scotland remains an important family heirloom. Louise’s youngest daughter, Gemma, is training to be a nurse. Louise said: “We wanted to keep the mug and it’s been round all the houses in the family as we moved around. “The NHS is in crisis at the moment. There’s all this talk about paying taxes directly to it and I would go for that. We owe a lot to the NHS. “If you look at countries that don’t have access to healthcare, women and children are dying all the time because of things that can be avoided. “That shouldn’t be happening in today’s world.” Abbie said: “If it wasn’t for the NHS, both of us would have died. Mum was haemorrhaging.” She gave birth to two of her three daughters at home and can’t fault NHS Tayside in making her wish a reality. Abbie added: “They were beautiful births. Everyone was around and came in and out. It was just amazing. “It was fantastic that I was able to do that. We can’t take the NHS for granted.”
Sir, – I was eight years of age when the National Health Service was rolled out all over Britain in 1948. Even then I understood the burden that was lifted from working folks like my parents, that our family’s health care would be free to all at point of need. I have always appreciated that fact, especially as I’ve grown older and have had more cause to use my doctor’s surgery, and the excellent service it provides. I was recently admitted into Ninewells Hospital as an emergency patient, and had an eight-day stay there. That was when I truly realised the enormity of this precious gift we have all been given; young and old, and the dedication of those who serve us within our NHS. I absolutely agree that if mistakes of any kind are made then the person or persons responsible should be called to account and treated accordingly and appropriately; for we are talking about our NHS, and our health and lives. That said and accepted I would like to take this chance to tell you that I cannot praise all the staff (doctors, nurses, technicians, and all the other folk it took to put me back on my feet) enough. A special thanks to everyone in High Dependency and ward 23 at Ninewells Hospital. I don’t know where I would have been without you all. And a final thought: If you were to collapse in the High Street in town (touch wood that never happens) would you want to hear “Here’s a glass of water, we’ve called an ambulance”or “Can I help here? I’m a doctor/ nurse/paramedic?” From someone who knows, please value our NHS and the ordinary folks who do an amazing and dedicated job covering 24/7 every day.