When Judith Miller Backway was woken by a “big crash” at 3 am, she raced out of her bedroom to find her husband on the bathroom floor in terrible pain.
She immediately called an ambulance to their Cannonvale address and was relieved when it arrived some minutes later.
They rushed him to Proserpine Hospital where it was initially thought to be a heart attack but after further investigation, they discovered he had a Ruptured Aortic Arterial Aneurism.
He was then taken by the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter to Townsville Hospital where he was treated by a vascular surgeon.
Afterwards, his wife found out that eight out of 10 people who suffer from the same condition do not survive the trip to the hospital.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the medical teams involved,” said Judith.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know their names, but everyone from the paramedics to every doctor, nurse, pilot and the helicopter doctors were just amazing!”
Since the incident, which took place earlier this month, Judith said they found out that this type of aneurism has no symptoms and no warning.
“Most people find out when it ruptures and by then it is too late,” said Judith.
“But you can ask your doctor to refer you for a routine ultrasound which would pick it up and I wish more people knew that.”
Judith says her husband is now doing well and that they have been able to complete their move down to Hervey Bay, but he has been on very light duties.
“He said he’d do anything to get out of the packing,” said Judith.
“But this was a step too far!”
