‘Say t’rah to my family’: BBC viewers left in tears at 81-year-old patient’s final words before he dies in heart surgery during Hospital documentary
- Joe, 81, died during his heart surgery at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
- Viewers have been left in tears after watching him in BBC Hospital programme
- In days leading up to surgery, he was ‘lucky’ for his life and hoped for the best
- He urged people to ‘just be yourself’ and not dwell on what you’ve done wrong
BBC viewers have been left in tears at an 81-year-old patient’s final words of ‘say t’rah to my family’ before he died in heart surgery during Hospital documentary.
Retired painter Joe suffered a heart attack which left a hole in his heart – and waited three weeks to have surgery at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.
Joe, who was an emergency case, used a temporary balloon pump to keep him alive and was told there is a 10 to 20 per cent chance he’d make it through the operation.
Viewers have been left in tears after Joe (pictured), 81, made his final words ‘say t’rah to my family’ before dying in heart surgery at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. His blood pressured dropped dramatically which put him in an ‘unrecoverable position’, according to Consultant Cardiologist Dr Suneil Aggarwal
Even if the operation was successful, there would be a mere fifty per cent chance of him leaving in a good state, he was told by Consultant Cardiologist Dr Suneil Aggarwal.
Joe praised the hospital staff who have been ‘very kind and pushed the boat out’.
He said: ‘I’ll be even more chuffed on Saturday if I can get out of bed. Fingers crossed. I’m pretty sure they feel quite hopeful.’
Looking through old photos, the retired decorator said: ‘As you lay here in this situation, every human being at all would have to think about their own life. What they’ve done. Don’t reflect on what you’ve done wrong, just be yourself.’
Stoic: He appeared determined to ‘get through this’ and said it was ‘important to battle on’, in the days leading up to his operation which was featured in the BBC Hospital series. Speaking from a hospital bed, the retired painter urged people not to ‘reflect on what you’ve done wrong, just be yourself’ in the final precious moments
Social media users have shared their admiration for Joe sharing his experience. One wrote: ‘That was astonishingly sobering to watch from start to finish. Thank you Joe for letting us see you story’
In the heartbreaking clip, he appeared determined to ‘get through this’ and his loed ones were a key motivator for helping him to ‘battle on’.
‘I’m lucky enough to say I’ve had and lived a good enough sort of life and I don’t want to lose it so I keep battling and hope for the best.’
Speaking on the day of his operation, he told the BBC: ‘You can say a few hours from now it’s one way or the other. Please god it goes the right way.
‘I’ve got to the stage now where this is it, it’s D-Day. This is the moment.’
Joe’s heart was more damaged than expected which led to complications in his surgery.
His blood pressured dropped dramatically which made him unable to pump blood around his body and put him in an ‘unrecoverable position’, said Dr Aggarwal, who decided to stop the operation.
And Hospital viewers have taken to Twitter to share their empathy and thanked Joe’s family for sharing his experience.
Emily said: ‘That was astonishingly sobering to watch from start to finish. Thank you Joe for letting us see you story.’
Paul added: ‘RIP Joe, you seemed an amazing gent. How incredibly brave for his family to allow his story to be shown.’
Rich Simmonds said: ‘Watching poor Joe pass away during heart surgery was very distressing. The #NHS has such amazing staff. They need proper support and funding from our government.’