SASSARI HOSPITAL SAVED WARWICK FLEURY'S LIFE

THE INCIDENT

My name is Warwick Fleury. I am a professional yachtsman from New Zealand. On 6 September 2022 I collapsed during a race while competing in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

BAD NEWS

I was taken by ambulance to the Emergency Centre in Olbia where tests disclosed that I had a type A aortic dissection involving my ascending aorta, aortic arch, supra-aortic trunks and descending aorta. The doctor described my condition as extremely dangerous, requiring urgent open-heart surgery to save my life.

SASSARI HOSPITAL

I was rushed directly to the operating theatre of Sassari hospital and underwent an eight-hour open heart surgery involving my aortic root, ascending aorta, aortic valve replacement and coronary artery replanting. The weeks following my collapse were undoubtedly the most traumatic period of my life, but I will be forever grateful for the care I received from all the wonderful people working at Sassari hospital.

LACK OF RESOURCES

During my “lifesaving” three weeks stay it became clearly apparent how under-resourced the hospital is. They are desperately short of equipment and there is no doubt that better resources would help the doctors and nurses at Sassari hospital save more lives.

OUR FUNDRAISER GOAL

In search of ways to help, we asked the head surgeon what the hospital needed most and after discussing with his team he specified a “portable echocardiograph scanner”, otherwise known as an ultrasound machine. An echocardiogram is a cardiac ultrasound system that uses noninvasive high-frequency sound waves to image the heart and aorta from various positions. Portable machines are designed to be used in small places, such as at a patient’s bedside, increasing flexibility and availability and are currently lacking in Sassari hospital. A suitable machine costs approximately €80,000 and we feel this would benefit the hospital most.

Any extra money raised would go towards buying hospital mattresses worth €1,800 each, another item in short supply.

So many of us are often looking for ways to give back and since I am gratefully still here to be able to ask, I will. If you can, please donate to this worthy cause, which is so close to my heart – literally! Every little bit will help us to the goal we have set. Thank you for your generosity!