Tony's miracle 

“The initial, early care was crucial, it was a matter of life and death for me. The staff in the operating theatre were beyond amazing,” Tony said.

Tony's story

After unexplained feelings of fatigue Tony visited his doctor to discover the shocking news that he had an abnormally large abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a localised enlargement of the abdominal aorta, which can cause life threatening bleeding if ruptured. 

Within a week Tony was scheduled for surgery at St John of God Berwick Hospital.

A large AAA is considered to be around 4.5cms in size, while Tony’s measured 9cms.

The severity of Tony’s condition caused complications during surgery, and he went into cardiac arrest. Caregivers in the operating room at St John of God Berwick Hospital worked tirelessly during his arrest, installing a pacemaker to keep Tony alive.

“The initial, early care was crucial, it was a matter of life and death for me. The staff in the operating theatre were beyond amazing,” Tony said. 

Tony spent nearly two months in the ICU at St John of God Berwick Hospital, recovering from this episode, before he was able to undergo surgery to repair his AAA, once he had regained enough strength.

“It was a miracle of miracles. Thanks to the wonderful care I received, I am still alive today,” Tony said.

$2.3 million was committed by Foundation donors towards comprehensive cancer care and cardiac care services as part of the St John of God Berwick Hospital redevelopment, which was completed in 2018.

The new cardiac services introduced during the redevelopment – including advanced stent and pacemaker installation and procedures – has supported better care for patients, enabling more complex surgical and medical procedures to take place closer to home for regional patients.

Thanks to our generous supporters, people like Tony can access life-changing treatment in their time of greatest need.