Two reflect on surgery with affection
Two emergency operations, one after the other, on two siblings, has resulted in a bouncing baby boy and one man’s health on the mend.
Tracy Thorgersen of Westpac Broome, and her partner Mark Retallack welcomed a healthy baby boy, Marcus Lee, born at Broome Regional Hospital on February 4.
But it wasn’t just Tracy, booked in for an elective caesarean at 1pm, who ended up in theatre.
The same morning at 3am, her brother Mark Thorgersen was on shift for Energy Development Limited Power Station at Halls Creek and was flown into Broome by the Royal Flying Doctor Service with a burst appendix.
He was booked in for surgery before Tracy’s caesarean that day, but when Tracy arrived at the hospital at 10am to prepare for surgery, she ended up needing to go into theatre immediately for an emergency caesarean, and Mark’s surgery had to wait.
As Tracy was wheeled out of theatre with her new baby boy, Mark was wheeled in for a life threatening emergency operation.
He had two operations, and spent two weeks in hospital and had several weeks off work to recover.
The family thanked all Broome Hospital staff for the love and care they put into their jobs.
“Thank you so much to the Health Services here in regional Broome and a big thank you to the Royal Flying Doctor Service,” Tracy said.
As well as being manager of Westpac Broome, Tracy is a registered civil marriage celebrant.
She has pledged to donate 10 per cent from every wedding she conducts this year to the RFDS to show the family’s appreciation.
