EXC: Hamilton dad thanks Glasgow NHS staff after life-threatening illness

A dad from Hamilton who came close to dying after a sudden illness has paid tribute to the hospital staff he says saved his life.

Brian Wands, 45, has written a heartfelt letter to staff at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, thanking them for what he calls 'extraordinary care' after he spent months critically ill.

Brian was diagnosed with pancreatitis in March 2022 after waking in the middle of the night with what he describes as the worst pain of his life.

Until that point, he had been fit, healthy and had never spent time in hospital.

Seven months in hospital

He was first taken to Hairmyres Hospital before being transferred by blue light ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where specialist pancreatic teams took over his care.

Brian spent seven months in hospital in total, including 84 days in intensive care.

He was placed in a coma for four weeks, underwent multiple emergency operations and received 95 units of blood during catastrophic internal bleeding.

At one point, doctors told his family he had no blood volume left in his body, but his heart was still beating.

In his letter of commendation, Brian named several staff members who he felt went above and beyond to save his life.

He thanked consultant surgeons Euan Dickson, Phil Stevens and Fiona Leitch, as well as intensive care consultant, Dr Tara Quasim.

He also thanked staff nurse, Lelsey Tough, physiotherapist Jill Meldrum and Caroline from the dietetics team.

He said: "It wasn't hour by hour, it was minute by minute. My family were told I might not survive. The whole time Mr. Dickson and his team were working on me.

“I was as close to death as you can come and still come back.

"I would not be here today without those people.”

Relearning to walk

Brian woke up in intensive care unable to move, speak or walk, surrounded by tubes and drains. He had to relearn basic skills, including how to stand and walk again.

Because of the damage to his pancreas and internal organs, he was fed through a drip for two and a half years and could not eat normally.

Even then, complications continued, including fractured vertebrae caused by bone thinning.

Despite everything, Brian says it was the staff who kept him going.

He praised nurses, doctors, physios, radiographers, dietitians and support teams across the hospital, saying compassion was shown at every stage.

He said consultants phoned in to check on him even when they were off on their honeymoons, and nurses went out of their way to lift his spirits during long, dark days.

He said: “One of the hardest things I have ever done was learn to walk again.

“They were there every step of the way.”

Returning to normality

Now recovering at home, Brian has returned to exercise, including Pilates and tennis. He is eating normally again and recently managed his first family holiday in three years.

His letter to the hospital was written, he says, because it did not feel right to say nothing.

“There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not thankful,” he said.

“My kids wouldn’t have a dad and my wife wouldn’t have a husband if it wasn’t for them.”

Brian hopes his story reminds people across Glasgow and the west of Scotland not to take NHS staff for granted.

“There’s a lot of negativity around the NHS.

“It’s not perfect, but the people are incredible. They were there every single time I needed them.

"I think it's so important that people understand just how pivotal and how skilled these people are and they don't get the thanks they deserve for it.

He hopes to highlight the work of NHS staff at the GRI so they may receive formal recognition for saving his life, and so many other lives every single day.

He added: "What I want to try and do is actually try and generate some momentum out of the letter and try and get some formal recognition for some of these people, because they genuinely did go above and beyond."

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