ALIVE THANKS TO HELP
Rod Parks was on one of his regular walks with his wife Bev on Sunday when he suffered a crippling heart attack.
While Bev ran for home 200m away, to get the car to take him to hospital, a good Samaritan came to Rod’s aid and helped him make it the rest of the way home.
As Rod continues to recover in hospital, his family has reached out to the PASTORAL TIMES to express their sincere thanks to the woman who helped.
They also thanked the medical and nursing staff at Deniliquin Hospital, who they say saved Rod’s life.
‘‘I don’t even know who it was that helped; I didn’t even get to see her,’’ Bev said.
‘‘She brought Rod down to me at the house, and we just got in the car and went straight to the hospital.
‘‘I really want to express my gratitude to this observant person.
‘‘I am also eternally grateful to Dr Ben James and the hospital’s medical staff in general.’’
The couple’s daughter Maryanne Parks, who is in Melbourne isolated from her family, said it was comforting to know there was someone there to help in the ‘‘very scary’’ moment.
‘‘Mum ran back to their house to get the phone and car and an unknown good Samaritan saw her running, with dad slumped against a fence. She stopped to make sure he was okay, and took him back to mum,’’ she said.
‘‘We sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
‘‘We would love to say thank you face-to-face if we ever get the chance.’’
Rob, 76, was initially treated at Deniliquin Hospital on Sunday and then airlifted to Bendigo for more specialist care.
Maryanne said he is recovering well after having a stent inserted, quicker than anyone expected.
But she said he’s having to stay in Bendigo on his own for now.
‘‘I just don’t know when I can get there (because of the Victorian lockdowns), and Mum and my brother Rick and his girls can’t travel to Bendigo from Deniliquin without having to isolate on their return,’’ Maryanne said.
‘‘He was flown to Bendigo by chopper so was not able to take anything with him.
‘‘I had to call the hospital gift shop and organise a few things for him, and the pharmacy.’’
Sunday was not the first time Rod has had heart trouble, receiving his first stents five years ago, but Maryanne said this was his first heart attack.
She said the ordeal has made the entire family realise just how lucky they are to have access to Deniliquin Hospital and its staff.
‘‘Sometimes we get complacent and tend to take things for granted when we really shouldn’t. For a regional town the size of Deni, quite often people take for granted the expertise and dedication repeatedly shown by the medical staff at the hospital,’’ Maryanne said.
‘‘Dad got to the hospital and we will be eternally grateful to Dr Ben James for his efforts to revive Dad and keep him alive so that he could be flown to Bendigo Base Hospital where he is currently recovering and in good spirits.
‘‘I would also like to thank the nursing staff at the hospital for their work, not only with Dad but for also ensuring that Mum was okay during the most terrifying moment of her life.
‘‘They offered her comfort and support while she was kept up to date with how Dad was going during this harrowing time.
‘‘Deniliquin is extremely lucky to have such dedicated and skilled staff who work in our hospital.
‘‘Given the times we find ourselves in currently there are no words that can possibly express how grateful we are for their skill and dedication.
‘‘It means that we get to be together again shortly as a whole family, once the border closures are removed.’’