Julie and Terry Etherington credit Julie’s survival from a brain aneurysm to the hospital’s medical team, particularly consultant emergency physician Dr David Thomson.

“The staff were just marvellous,” Terry said.

“The service at the base hospital was amazing, particularly Dr  David Thomson, he was the main saviour.

“Had we not got the service that we did, Julie would not have survived.”

Terry suspected his wife had experienced a stroke when he rushed her to Port Macquarie Base Hospital emergency department on the night of November 23.

Julie walked to the car at home but by the time they got the hospital, about two kilometres away, she needed a wheelchair. 

Testing at Port Macquarie Base Hospital revealed the problem and Julie was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital.

She had life-saving surgery at John Hunter Hospital, followed by stays in the intensive care unit and the neurology ward.

Julie returned home on Christmas Eve where she is recuperating.

“I’m certainly grateful for the care and attention, not just from the hospital people, but that everyone has shown,” the grandmother-of-nine said.

“Everyone sent cards and well wishes and all sorts of things, you name it.”

“I feel amazed I was so sick and I came through.”

An aneurysm is a weakness in the arterial vessel wall which causes it to balloon out.

That can rupture causing a haemorrhage.

Hastings Macleay Network director of intensive care and executive medical director Dr Bill Lancashire said the neurological intervention was either a clip across the neck of the aneurysm or the insertion of a coil into the aneurysm itself.

“Our patients can be reassured there are systems in place that will manage cases like this where we don’t have a neurological unit here,” Dr Lancashire said.

“The community of the Hastings Macleay Network should feel confidence in their clinicians and in the systems that are in place.”