To the Dark and Back

The story detailing the journey taken by Aaron Wilkinson with what appeared to begin with nothing more than a cough and common cold. The story quickly escalates into a struggle for survival when Aaron became gripped with H1N1 Swine Flu, double pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Following the eventual diagnosis, the race was on for Aaron to be accepted into the care of Glenfield Hospital, a specialist unit located over 100 miles away from his home. Here, an amazing but widely unknown form of life support known as ECMO became Aaron’s last line of defence and only hope of survival.

The story explains every step taken to preserve Aaron’s life and to provide his waiting wife, family and friends a glimmer of hope that, with the expertise of medical professionals, he will defy the odds and make a complete recovery.

The story continues by explaining vivid and horrific tales of dreams and hallucinations caused by strong medication, coupled with the natural fight or flight instinct of the human mind. Hallucination scenarios include a violent kidnapping, withholding of medication, attempted murder, torture and a hospital breakout orchestrated by armed Police and a secret subsection of the British Special Forces.Survival was no way guaranteed, but thankfully Aaron’s life was in the hands of the best in the NHS.