‘I owe them my life’

ON the 2012 May bank holiday weekend, Jim Kelly developed a scratch on his right hip that became inflamed and excruciatingly painful over several weeks.

As a result of the intense pain, he couldn’t sit down or sleep.

Always a reluctant patient, the Raheny father-of-five resisted visiting his GP, thinking it would get better without the need to visit his doctor. However, when he could stand the pain no more, he finally visited his GP who prescribed a course of antibiotics.

Unfortunately, these had no effect on his condition. Jim (59) was still in desperate pain and returned to the doctor once more. On seeing the wound, his GP advised him to go straight to A&E at Beaumont Hospital.

Not knowing just how serious his condition was, Jim told his wife not to bother coming with him, that if he wasn’t seen before long he’d come home to sleep and return to A&E the next morning.

He arrived to A&E and was examined first at 11pm. At 1.15am he was told he had a potentially fatal bacterial infection.

By 3am, he was in theatre undergoing exploratory surgery to view the extent of the infection. A few hours later he was taken into surgery again where surgeons worked to cut out what was a fairly widespread infection.

He was placed on antibiotics and moved to ICU but the following day he had a third surgery when it was found that the infection was still spreading.

Jim spent eight days in Richmond ICU fighting for his life and a total of seven weeks in Beaumont Hospital.

A simple scratch, which became infected, had led to Jim developing necrotizing fasciitis/Fournier gangrene (a flesh eating disease). He regards the speed of his diagnosis and treatment as being a major factor in his survival and believes the staff at Beaumont Hospital saved his life.

“I had no idea how close I was to leaving it all behind,

? Jim told Northside People.

“I remember them (doctors) telling me that I had a very serious life-threatening infection and the next thing I was waking up in ICU on a respirator.

“It’s very sobering to be told there’s a possiblity that you might die.

“I am in no doubt that the fast action taken by the medical staff in Beaumont that night is the reason I am still around to tell my tale. I owe them my life.

?

After his stay at Beaumont, Jim attended a recovery programme in DCU and thankfully, he has since made a full recovery.

“In December, I was able to walk normally and was comfortably able to get around,

? he said.

“I’m grand now. It’s a testament to the skill of the surgeons at the hospital, and my family and I are eternally grateful. Dr Mohamed Mostian and Dr Des Toomey were two of the doctors on Jim’s team.

Beaumont Hospital Foundation recently welcomed back former patients, including Jim, as part of their continuing staff recognition and fundraising programme called

‘Honour Your Heroes’.

The programme allows patients to pass on a message of appreciation to a hospital staff member, or team, in thanks for the care, they, or a loved one, has received while in the hospital.

These messages are displayed around the hospital for staff, patients and the public to read and voluntary donations can be made to the Foundation to fund patient care initiatives.

Lorraine Keane acted as MC at the reception and several former patients spoke about their appreciation towards Beaumont Hospital and its staff who brought them safely through critical times.