A mayor's quick decision to answer a call, instead of catching some waves, may have been a life-saving moment for a fellow councillor.
Shellharbour's deputy mayor, Kellie Marsh, is now recovering in the intensive care unit at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital after a close call with two ruptured aneurysms. These aneurysms caused subarachnoid haemorrhages, which is a fancy way of saying bleeding between the brain and its protective tissues.
The story begins with Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer on holiday, about to dive into the ocean at North Manyana. Just as he was gearing up, his phone rang. It was Councillor Marsh.
"I was in full holiday mode, sunscreen and rash vest on, board ready. I almost thought, 'Surf first, call later', but something told me to answer it," Cr Homer recalled.
And it was a good thing he did.
During their five-minute chat, Ms Marsh began to fade. Cr Homer, aware of her history with migraines, initially thought it might be a typical episode. But when she became unresponsive and started making strange noises, he knew something was seriously wrong.
"She described seeing starry-eyed things, then she just faded out of the conversation. That's when I knew it was an emergency," he said.
Cr Homer immediately called Ms Marsh's son, Nathan, who found his mother collapsed and foaming at the mouth on the bathroom floor. The mayor then called emergency services, and Cr Marsh was rushed to Wollongong Hospital and then to Sydney for surgery.
Speaking from the ICU, Cr Marsh said she had little memory of the incident.
"I'm just grateful to be here. I remember my vision getting funny, but I didn't realize the severity until later. It was a scary experience," she said.
Dr Jorn Van Der Veken, a neurosurgeon, explains that a cerebral aneurysm is an abnormal bulge on an artery in the brain, caused by a weakened artery wall. He highlights the importance of timing in managing such cases, as well as the need for urgent emergency and neurosurgical care to prevent a second bleed.
"Aneurysms can be silent, but when they rupture, it's like being hit on the head with a hammer. It's a thunderclap headache," he said.
Dr Van Der Veken also mentions risk factors, including lifestyle habits like smoking and hypotension, as well as non-modifiable risks like gender and genetics.
Cr Homer believes the timing of his call, the trust between him and Cr Marsh, and the swift actions of those around them, all played a crucial role in her survival.
"It was a close call. I'm just grateful everything aligned and she's still with us," he said.
And Cr Marsh agrees, feeling blessed and lucky to have such support.
"It's a reminder of how precious life is and how quickly things can change. I'm just glad I'm still here to tell the tale," she added.
