A beauty pageant queen was left on life support for a month after suddenly collapsing when her body began to shut down. Tara Joanna Hamer had been feeling unwell for quite some time, was sleeping for long periods, suffering from ulcers in her mouth and had unexplained bruises all over her body.
But the former Miss Galaxy Wales was leading a busy life; enjoying going to the gym, working in the NHS and spent her free time competing in beauty pageants, so when she started to feel unwell, she just it down to tiredness. Never could she imagine it was serious until she collapsed on November 22, 2022, WalesOnline reports.
Tara, from Hengoed, Caerphilly, was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, where she would spent the next month in intensive care. She was suffering from multiple organ failure, pancreatitis, double pneumonia, and sepsis.
She said: "999 was called as I collapsed and I was blue-lighted to the Heath hospital. They worked on me for eight to nine hours, to stabilise me, before they could put me on a life support machine.
"I was on a life support machine for 28 days. In [that time], I had pancreatitis, double pneumonia, and sepsis. I wasn't showing any signs of improvement - I had to have a blood transfusion and they said on three separate occasions to my parents and my partner that they needed to prepare for the worst."
Tara faced "the battle of her life" from organ failure which led to her liver and kidneys not functioning as they should. This made her form a bruise on her right leg which eventually made her leg turn black. It once stage there was strong possibility of having the bottom half amputated.
Tara explained: "My mother told me they were just waiting for them to [come in to and] say 'We've decided to amputate the leg.' But thankfully it didn't come to that."
Medics tried another treatment which started to show slight improvements in Tara's condition and they tried to take her off life support. However, the first attempt was unsuccessful, and they had to put her back under until they could try again a couple of days later.
"They tried a few days after and they managed to take me off it and the sedation wore off and I woke up," Tara continued. "I was still in a critical condition - I had drips everywhere, I couldn't talk, I was just so ill."
Tara still wasn't able to eat or drink, in case she choked, and had to spend Christmas in the hospital. By Boxing Day, she was struggling to breathe and had to put her back on the life support machine for a few days.
Tara's condition again improved and she was moved from the critical care unit in UHW to The Grange Hospital, where she spent a month in an intensive care ward.
She added: "I was just so weak and so unwell. My parents were incredible and my partner who stood by me through everything - I couldn't have done it without them. I continued to make progress and in January my consultant came in and said: 'Are you ready to go home?' - I started crying."
For two and a half months Tara received intensive recovery treatment to strengthen her leg so that she was "able to walk properly," and is still pushing on in recovery treatment now. Tara added that she is grateful for the NHS who saved her life.
She said: "They saved my life. They worked on me so hard and didn't give up on me - I'm just in awe of them. I thank God every day and it's a miracle how I'm still here and the treatment they gave me in the Heath was amazing."
Tara wanted to revisit the critical care team to thank them personally for saving her life during her recovery. She also hailed them for going above and beyond during her care by brushing and plaiting her hair and even painting her nails. Standing outside the unit with Hero chocolates and a card, Tara waited for one of the members of staff who treated her to come out to give them a "meaningful thank you" for saving her life.
She said: "She came out and literally screamed - she was gobsmacked and started crying." The staff member gave her a hug and was surprised to see how well she was doing.
Tara now wants to give back to the team and raise money for the ward. She added: "They are heroes - if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here. I find that really hard to get my head around and I was out of it for so long - 28 days on a life support machine, usually that would have been turned off.
"People are quick enough to complain about the NHS but I don't think they get enough recognition for what they do - they save lives."
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