As of yesterday afternoon, more than NZ$12,500 (T$22,500) has been raised for the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital where Manu Samoa’s technical Advisor, Andrew Strawbridge, was first treated.
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Strawbridge, 50, is currently in Waikato Hospital's Intensive Care Unit in a critical but stable condition after becoming ill on a trip to Apia on July 7.
He was heading to the Pacific island in his role as technical advisor for the Manu Samoa rugby team that was playing the All Blacks.
An infection in his right eye deteriorated rapidly and he was admitted to hospital soon after arriving in Samoa.
His wife Laura and family set up the givea- little page to raise funds for the Moto'otua National Hospital Intensive Care Unit where the coach was treated.
On the appeal’s first half day, it has had 105 donations.
This is what Laura Strawbridge* wrote in the appeal on the Givealittle page:
“Andrew, my lovely husband, flew to Samoa from New Zealand on July 6 2015.
During the flight, he became unwell and in the early hours of Wednesday 8 July, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Moto'otua National Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
Shortly after his admission, he was seen by Dr David Galler, a simply outstanding physician who usually works at Middlemore Hospital. He and his team cared for Andrew until he was well enough to move. Without these amazing women and men, I can only imagine what would have happened.
The purpose of this page is to raise funds for the ICU. We have received so much assistance, and we've said "yes please" to only a fraction of what has been offered.
We know that many of our friends and the rugby community, both here and far away, really want to do something to help. The ICU could really use some of that love.
We have asked Dr Galler to give us his wishlist of resources, because it was obvious during Andrew's stay that some additional resources and support would allow them to deal with the complexities of dealing with critically ill people on the basis of what they need, not on what's available.
Having wonderful, caring, committed staff just isn't enough - the best possible outcomes in ICU are achieved by having sufficient working equipment, access to world class training, and the right resources in place when they're needed (which is usually immediately).
Please help Dr Galler and his "wonder" ICU team make it much easier to continue their amazing, compassionate work.
The money we raise will go towards medical equipment (the equipment, installation, training and consumables) and training for the team. The following items demonstrate the depth of the need at ICU:
1. a desk top computer for the ongoing development of ICU procedures, treatment guidelines and protocols.
2. syringe pumps for the safe administration of drugs and fluids 3. an echo machine for imaging the heart and putting in lines 4. airway equipment (a glide scope) 5. a dialysis machine for the ICU 6. a transport monitor for vital signs 7. a portable oximeter (for measuring oxygen levels in your body).
We would also like to support further investment in training, such as establishing an ongoing educational scholarship open to both doctors and nurses to help establish a sustainable model of appropriate intensive care services for Samoa.
While our fundraising efforts may not buy all of these things because some of them are very expensive, I would love to think we can make a difference and a dent in the list.”
*I am married to Andrew Strawbridge and have recently returned from Samoa where my husband was in the Moto’otua National Hospital Intensive Care Unit. This has been the most frightening time of my life. Being away from home made it all the more intense and stressful – despite the incredible support.
This experience has made me realise that in New Zealand, we're so lucky because we get what we need, when we need it. In Samoa, this is not the case and I feel passionately about properly resourcing the wonderful, hardworking nurses and doctors at Moto'otua National Hospital ICU, having seen first hand the great work they do with what limited resources they have.
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