A burns patient who 'woke up on fire' after an explosion at his home has thanked the 'angels' who cared for him at a Swansea hospital. Father-of-four Stuart Cooper was airlifted to Morriston Hospital's burns centre after a fire at his home near Penzance in October 2019.
Stuart suffered 66% burns to his body in the explosion, believed to have been caused by a gas heater, and remained in a coma for more than six weeks. His condition was so serious his family began preparing for the worst.
Stuart eventually stayed on Tempest and Powys wards for nine months, and a further three in Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. His traumatic experience led to periods of despair, but, encouraged by nurses, and his friend Suzanne Phillips, he began writing poetry to help him.
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"I am still piecing things together, because I went to bed one night and woke up on fire, and two months later I came round in hospital in Wales," the 47-year-old said. "I wasn’t meant to wake-up. My oldest son was sent home from hospital one day to tell my three other children I would not make it.
"I eventually came round from my coma. I only weighed 41kilos and I had to work with the physios to learn to do everything again. I went through some very dark periods and wanted to give up. But I promised I would not do it, mainly for my children, and I will not break my word."
Stuart's injuries were so severe that he had to abandon employment. He had previously worked as a courier for a small independent firm that saw him travel all over the country.
“I genuinely loved my job because no two days were the same,” he said. “I had a lot of freedom and didn’t have a boss in my ear all the time. I worked 16 hours a day, six days a week, and would have worked more if I was allowed.
“But, stuck in a hospital bed, I didn’t know what to do, until one of the nurses suggested I start to write. I hadn’t done anything much like that since school, when I’d write limericks about teachers.
"I didn’t know what to write about, so nurses started giving me different topics to write about and I’d write something and hand it over to them like a stroppy teen. They were so good to me the only way I can describe them is angels, and then a friend of mine suggested I write about them.”
Suzie Phillips, the friend in question, had got to know Stuart while he was a courier and visited her home to deliver items. Both Suzie and her son had received life-saving treatment by the NHS.
“I am a survivor of domestic abuse; after one particular serious assault I was left permanently blind in one eye. The assault was shortly after surgery to remove a tumour behind my eye, and during that operation my heart stopped on the operating table. A great NHS team worked hard to save my life,” she said.
The former oral surgery nurse added: "Also, when my son was in hospital during lockdown, I saw what the staff had to endure, which made me want to take part in some major fund-raising art projects for the NHS, I am extraordinarily grateful for everything they’ve done for us.
“When Stuart was in hospital in Wales I said to him, ‘You call the nurses angels, why don’t you do something to help them see what they mean to you? Why don’t you write something that will inspire them, perhaps after they’ve had a long or traumatic shift, and let them know they are respected and thought about?'”
Since Suzie's suggestion, Stuart has penned nearly 200 poems, many of which have been inspired by the ‘Angels of Morriston’ who helped him through his ordeal. Taking inspiration from Stuart's words, Suzie has created a series of artworks with an NHS angel design, which she hand-painted onto glass and then fused in her kiln.
The artwork has been delivered to the Tempest ward at Morriston Hospital where they have been put on display by some of the staff who cared for Stuart. A second collaboration between Stuart and Suzie is being created for the Powys ward.
“I get no real joy out of it – it bores the heck out of me, but people seem to like it and it is a way to deal with what is inside me. I posted some on Facebook and the response was overwhelming. I have been contacted by an author who wanted me to tell ‘my story,’" Stuart said.
“I just hope I’ve done justice to everyone who helped me at Morriston. I just want every person I've written about, acknowledged and to know they are appreciated for being relentlessly caring.”
Martin Nicholls Ward Manager Tempest Ward said: “The gift is a lovely thought and is being displayed in our waiting area on Tempest Ward for all to see.”
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