A Dundee man is fighting for his life after suffering a heart attack at home.
Daniel Waterston had been enjoying a relaxing Sunday at home with his grandmother – when he collapsed and had to be rushed to hospital earlier this month.
The 30-year-old has spent the last 19 days on a ventilator and his family still don’t know if he will survive.
Gran Pauline said Daniel, a BT call centre worker, was at home in Kirkton with her on July 9 when he became wheezy.
Initially Pauline thought Daniel was suffering from an asthma attack but it soon became apparent his condition was far more serious.
“He stood up and the next minute he had collapsed on the floor in the hall while trying to go to his room,” she said.
“We called for an ambulance which came very quickly – to this day I believe that if they hadn’t got here as soon as they did Daniel would no longer be with us.”
Paramedics got Daniel into the ambulance where they were able to stabilise him enough to take him to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Once there, doctors told his anxious family that he had suffered a massive attack
They managed to unblock one of his two blocked arteries before transferring Daniel to the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank for specialist treatment.
Family told to prepare for the worst
Doctors there explained Daniel only had 5% heart function and to prepare for the worst.
It is also thought he had a stroke while in a coma but has improved since then and was able to be transferred back to Ninewells on Saturday.
Pauline said: “We were told it was touch and go if Daniel would make it.
“They put him on a ventilator and at that point we were still told not to hope for too much.”
However, Daniel held on and 10 days later he was taken off the ventilator.
Pauline said: “He came round slightly and his mum, Gillian, who is at his bedside, was able to speak to him – although he was struggling to communicate with her.”
She said that doctors also think Daniel may have suffered a stroke while he was in a coma.
She said: “He has made a very small improvement and on Saturday night he was transferred back to Ninewells.
“They have said he now has 45% heart function. In the meantime we are waiting to see if he can go on the heart transplant list.
“It may be that it will only be medication that is required in the future but we still don’t know.
“We are just praying that they can do something to help Daniel.”
She said that Daniel’s heart attack came completely out of the blue with no prior warning of a heart condition.
She said: “He hasn’t been quite right since he had Covid last year but up until then he was never near the doctor so this has been a huge shock for all of us, especially given his age.”
Fundraising to support family
The family, including mum Gillian and sister Morgan, had been struggling to pay for hotel costs to stay near Daniel while he was in Clydebank.
Pauline said: “I am having to use my credit cards to pay for their hotel accommodation beside the hospital, however, my niece has set up a gofundme page to help me at this time,
“It’s amazing how many people have donated and it’s made all the difference at this really difficult time.”
