Shark victim full of thanks

Emotions high at hospital

BURNIE shark attack victim Justine Barwick — critically injured and terrified — is being wheeled into theatre where medical teams are about to spend three hours saving her life and leg.

But etched in her memory is the kind-hearted face of Dr Tina Moriaty, then a stranger and the senior medical officer who held her hand offering comfort in her darkest hour.

“I knew I was about to go to sleep and to be honest I didn’t know whether I was going to … walk or whether I was going to die,” Ms Barwick said.

“I’d like to say that I remember all the clever medical things that she did to help me survive, but I remember that she held my hand and she listened to me when I told her that I was scared.”

Multiple emergency teams worked together seamlessly to help her survive a near fatal shark attack in the Whitsundays on September 19 last year.

A year later, Ms Barwick has returned to Mackay Base Hospital for an emotional reunion with the staff, including doctors, nurses and social workers who had been on hand or were called in after the horrific attack.

“My heart was pounding,” Dr Moriaty said. “I felt very privileged that she wanted to come and see us.”

Their stoic demeanours crumbled and amid tears and laughter as they embraced.

“I remember you … thank you so much,” Ms Barwick said. Thank you very much — she repeated these words as she shook hands with and hugged every person at the hospital involved in her survival.

Senior medical officer Dr John Hadok was, by chance, the first on the scene.

“It was purely accidental. I just happened to be in my little trailer sailer in Cid Harbour on that afternoon,” he said.

Her injuries were traumatic, but Dr Hadok said her husband and friend had already instituted excellent first aid to stem the catastrophic bleeding.

Dr Hadok humbly played down his role. “It was very small, but nonetheless probably essential … it was a small role compared to the other amazing people that contributed to her survival,” he said.

At Mackay Base Hospital Dr Moriaty led the trauma team that kept Justine alive and strong enough for surgeons to save her right leg.

“Tina’s face is just imprinted in my head, but it’s [also] in my heart,” Ms Barwick said.

For Ms Barwick, reuniting with the hospital staff was one of the most “amazing” experiences on her road to recovery.

“So for me, I needed to come to say thank you to the team here and to Tina.”

She is yet to return to the Whitsundays, “but I will” she said. That and sailing were “on the cards” as things that will get ticked off.