Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 40

INTERVIEW

he was going to die. About 24 hours
elapsed before I realised he had a good
chance of making it.”
That evening when Andrew was
transferred to the Wessex Neurological
Centre in Southampton, Carole was
still desperately trying to find out if
he was going to survive. Upon arrival
in Southampton she refused to allow
him to be put in a bed in one ward
because a nearby bin was overflowing
with rubbish. “If he was going to
die it wasn’t going to be in those
surroundings,” she insisted. Another
bed was found, and a further scan
revealed the bleeding had stopped, but
still no one was sure of the eventual
outcome. But a lighter moment came
when he was visited by two friends
who informed him ‘don’t worry, your
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solicitor and undertaker are here!’
After two weeks Andrew returned
to St Mary’s, but couldn’t speak, and
still no one could give Carole the
information she sought.
“I remember Christmas Day because
I was allowed home for a couple
of hours, but I must have been a
nightmare because I couldn’t sit up.
I don’t remember the meal, but I
do remember my incapacity,” said
Andrew. As the couple’s memories
continued to bounce off each other
like a double act, Carole quipped:
“During dinner he fell off a chair
and broke it. But in all honesty, that
Christmas I couldn’t see how he could
ever come home. I just thought the
hospital staff were avoiding telling me
bad news.”

Andrew continued: “I was in hospital
another six weeks and it was about
four weeks before I could remember
anything substantial, but even then I
couldn’t speak properly.”
The recovery process at home was
slow and understandably frustrating,
despite massive support from the
Conservative party, both nationally
and locally. David Cameron gave
Carole his personal mobile number
and said to call him anytime if he
could do anything to help. They
received more than 600 cards from
Island well-wishers, which they still
treasure. And Carole is still full of
praise for the support and care Andrew
received at St Mary’s Hospital.
When he began to regain his speech,
he admits: “I didn’t know that I wasn’t