Remarkable recovery of Shrewsbury teacher to air on TV
The recovery of a former Shrewsbury teacher who underwent rare treatment for a life-threatening brain aneurysm will feature on TV tonight.
Helen Norton was transferred to the specialist neurology service at Royal Stoke University Hospital after falling ill during a spin cycling class.
Her story and remarkable recovery features in 999: Critical Condition – the exclusive documentary charting the life and death decisions and actions of clinicians at the hospital's major trauma centre.
The 56-year-old mother-of-one said: “I was in a spinning class and up until then I had been absolutely fine but all of a sudden I just felt weird and distant from everything around me, almost like I was under water. I felt panicky and got off the bike and went for fresh air. Thankfully there was a GP at the gym who helped and staff called 999.”
Following a series of scans experts identified a brain aneurysm, which was less than a millimetre in size, located at the back of her brain – a difficult location for surgery.
The episode shows how Dr Sanjeev Nayak, consultant neuroradiologist, fitted a special stent to improve blood flow to Helen’s brain. He explained that the procedure uses artificial intelligence to ensure the stent is tailor-made, measures and is placed accurately.
Dr Nayak said: “An aneurysm is like a blister on the vessel of the brain and if that ruptures, in this particular case it can lead to disability or death. A third of the patients who have this haemorrhage don’t make it to the hospital, they don’t survive."
In a poignant and emotional moment, Helen’s husband Simon speaks of his love for wife Helen.
He said: “You can’t really put into words what that feels like, to know that someone who you love, you know, deeply that things could have turned out so very different. The doctor talked about how close you can be to death and it makes you evaluate and appreciate what you’ve got and what you potentially can lose.”
The screening of the episode marks the 12-month anniversary of Helen, who is a school receptionist, having the aneurysm.
Helen said: “It has been a strange 12 months. I lost my mother in August last year and then I had the brain haemorrhage followed by Covid, which has affected us all. It’s like a plague of locusts but I am so thankful that I am now fit and healthy, back at the gym and have come through it. I am grateful to Dr Nayak who both Simon and I have so much admiration for and give credit to the whole team and nursing care I received, my care was fantastic and I am very grateful.”
Helen's story is being aired on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight.
