Nurse realized his colleague didn’t show up for training session—he instinctively rushed to her home and saved her life
Looking out for one another never goes in vain. Whether it’s a friend or even a colleague, being vigilant and observant can be a life-saving skill to hold on to. Mark Collins, a Moving and Handling Facilitator at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, practiced the same and managed to save the life of his colleague Corine Cutting, as per a press release. The man was assigned to deliver a training session with the nurse and when he noticed she didn’t show up, he acted astutely. Turned out, she needed help.
The woman hadn’t called in sick and her coworker wasn’t made aware of any reason for her absence. Collins got suspicious, especially since he was aware that the nurse’s husband had been a patient in the hospital and it didn’t make sense for her to skip work without notice. “I just had a feeling that something wasn’t right. I knew she was at home alone and I thought I should check on her,” the man recalled. He couldn’t make sense of the impending feeling and decided to visit her home. “It’s hard to explain but my instinct told me I needed to act fast,” he remarked.
Collins tried to get in touch with the woman via phone but it was in vain. He made the prompt decision to drive 11 miles and was shocked to see the scene he arrived at. Cutting’s house door was unlocked and he could hear her crying for help. The man discovered that the nurse had collapsed to the floor after a dangerous drop in her cortisol hormone. Cutting has Addison’s – a rare disorder of the adrenal glands and she suddenly felt a drop. The situation was reportedly fatal and if Collins had not arrived, the nurse could have lost her life. He immediately called emergency services and arranged for necessary medication and an ambulance.
The woman was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the same ward as her husband. Cutting managed to receive aid in time and because of it, she was stabilized within 72 hours and discharged soon after. The hospital shared a post on Facebook, applauding Collins for his “selfless” actions. “A quick-thinking hero at TeamQEH has been hailed as a hero for saving a colleague’s life,” the caption read. Cutting, being a medical professional and understanding the intensity of her situation, is also grateful for her coworker who acted on his gut feeling and saved her life.
“If it wasn’t for his instinct to check on me, I shudder to think what might have happened. Mark didn’t hesitate and thanks to him, I’m here today,” Cutting remarked. The CEO of the hospital, Alice Webster, also commended Collins’ astuteness and thoughtfulness. “Mark’s quick thinking and selflessness are truly commendable. We are extremely fortunate to have team members like Mark who not only care deeply for their colleagues but also act without hesitation when others are in need,” she mentioned.