Bally Sarai, from Hamilton, took a few tentative steps to deliver a heap of hampers to patients and staff at Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital on Christmas Day - the start of her campaign. She is learning to walk again after four months in hospital and there were times when doctors warned she might not pull through.
The 48-year-old’s life changed forever at the end of June when she began to feel feverish. Within three days she was seriously ill. When she arrived at the urgent care centre at Leicester Royal Infirmary her blood pressure was dangerously low.
Bally, who is married with two children, said: “I was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. My left lung had collapsed and the right was on the verge of collapse and I was transferred to Glenfield Hospital. About two days later doctors said they were going to have put me into an induced coma for two weeks - it turned out to be eight weeks. I was devastated because I didn’t want to miss my son’s graduation in London but doctors said they couldn’t even wait until my family arrived. I just remember taking all my rings and jewellery off and being put to sleep.”
While she has recovered from the pneumonia she is having to learn to walk again.
Bally, whose husband Kulvinder and her family was constantly at her side, has now pledged to spend the next year raising money for the Ecmo team.
Bally will spend the next year fund raising for Leicester Hospitals’ Charity. She launched it by presenting hampers to staff and patients at Glenfield Hospital as well as by setting up an online donation page which has already raised more than £1,000.
