'Lourdes staff saved my life'
Bill Mynes at home this week surrounded by his granddaughters Katie, Billie and Aimee. Credit: Paul Connor
A DROGHEDA man has come forward to thank the doctors and nurses who saved his life in Our Lady of Lourdes hospital, after they quickly diagnosed him with meningitis.
Bill Mynes, a Dubliner who now lives in Oldbridge, says he owes his life to the staff in the hospital, as it was their 'quick-thinking and action that has him alive today'.
In light of recent highprofile tragic misdiagnosis cases, he feels they should be praised for getting it so right.
'I moved here from Dublin three years ago, after I retired from the GPO,' says Bill, who thankfully is in the whole of his health again.
'One day I came back from the gym, and found I couldn't look at the light and I had a terrible headache. My son, who is a garda, came in and found me, and immediately called an ambulance, as he thought I was having a stroke or a heart attack.'
Bill took ill on a Tuesday, and he said he woke up the following Sunday, after having been given the last rites on a couple of occasion.
'What saved me two years ago was the quick diagnosis by the nurses first of all, and then the care of Dr Bassit, who was brilliant,' says the granddad of 6.
'He said to me after that the hand of God was on my shoulder with the diagnosis being made that quick, and you wouldn't be here today if that had not have happened.'
Bill, who is married to Una, had to endure a hefty dose of three antiviral drugs a day, at a total cost of € 14,000, but he knows he had 'a very close call'.
'There's nothing but bad news in the news about the hospital and I just wanted to be the one to show that good news and success stories come out of there every day,' he adds.
'I wouldn't be spending Christmas with my little granddaughters Aimee, Billie and Katie if they didn't get it right.'
- Alison COMYN
