A stranger saved my life

By Col Nelson 

The thought of having a major medical emergency at home alone is an incredibly frightening concept for anybody, but that’s just what happened to me when I had a stroke in 2016. 

I was 73 at that time and the quick thinking actions of a stranger, at the end of a random phone number, helped me survive to tell the tale.  

When I think back, there was a small clue that something was not quite right with my body in the hours leading up to my stroke. 

I was supermarket shopping while my wife Dianne was interstate. As I walked down the aisles of the store my foot scraped on the ground every now and then. It was a weird sensation and I wondered why it kept happening, but I shrugged it off and got on with my day.

I went home, cooked some dinner and watched some television like any ordinary night. I went to bed without giving my foot another thought. But when I woke the next morning, I was almost paralysed down one side. I couldn’t control my arm and leg and I couldn’t get out of bed. It was terrifying.  

My thoughts were a jumble, but the one thing I knew was I desperately needed to get help. I knew what a stroke was and fleetingly feared I was having one, but what could I do? I was in the house all alone. 

I mustered up all of my strength and through sheer willpower I managed to drag himself from my bedroom to the loungeroom where there was a phone. My daughter Belinda lived nearby, and I was determined to reach her.  I was confused and didn’t think to dial triple zero (000) in the moment. 

I must have called half a dozen wrong numbers. I just couldn’t coordinate my brain and my hand. 

I don’t really remember much. I was slurring my words, but I did speak to one young woman who asked if I was in trouble and needed an ambulance. I recall saying, no I just want my daughter.

Luckily, the woman did not follow my instructions. The stranger at the end of the phone line recognised it was an emergency and dialled triple zero. Within minutes the ambulance service called my number, asked if he needed help and sent an ambulance to my address. I was then transported to hospital for treatment and subsequent rehabilitation. 

To this day, I still don’t know my saviour’s name, where she lives or anything about her. I wanted to find her, but her number had disappeared from my phone. 

If I ever met her, I would like to thank her very much for not hanging up on me and for her quick thinking. It’s quite possible she saved my life. 

My life has changed since my stroke. The two things I miss the most are being able to drive and sit by a quiet river and fish.  I still have a weak side, a limp and get confused at times, but I can walk and talk. I consider myself extremely lucky and I know the outcome of my stroke could have been far worse if it was not for the stranger on the phone.  

I am incredibly grateful for the love and support of my family, who all rushed to my side in hospital and have helped me throughout my recovery. Recovery is a slow process, but I am happy. 

I might not be able to climb a ladder anymore, but I am alive. I am around to cheer on my grandsons when they play football and that brings me a huge amount of joy.