On a Monday morning in October 2023, Hugh Burrill’s life changed in an instant.

Just weeks after returning from a six month trip through Europe visiting family and friends and undertaking several cycling tours. Hugh, who was fit, active and newly retired, collapsed at his local gym following an out of hospital cardiac arrest.

His wife, Meridee, a retired General Practitioner, was by his side. She immediately began CPR.

For 20 minutes, Meridee, alongside bystanders, worked to keep Hugh alive. “I’m so lucky Meridee was there to lead the charge,” Hugh said. “Without her, I wouldn’t be here.”

When paramedics arrived, Hugh’s condition remained critical. His heart was unable to pump effectively due to large blood clots in his lungs. In most circumstances, survival would have been unlikely.

But on that day, Hugh became part of an out-of-hospital ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) trial, which brings a portable heart-lung machine directly to patients in cardiac arrest. A specialised team from Ambulance Victoria and The Alfred arrived at the gym and connected Hugh to the machine that would take over the work of his heart and lungs. Without ECMO, Hugh would not have survived long enough to reach hospital.

Hugh spent seven days in intensive care on life support. Like many ICU patients, his memories are fragmented.

“I have almost no memory of the day I had the cardiac arrest,” he says. What he does remember is the confusion and fear after regaining consciousness.  For several days, Hugh experienced hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety and severe sleep deprivation, common but often unspoken aspects of critical illness.

Amid this, two constants grounded him, the care of ICU staff and the presence of his wife. “I was completely dependent on Meridee,” he says. “I couldn’t read, write or process information properly. She became my voice, my memory and my connection to the world.” Meridee was by his bedside every day, supporting communication, managing decisions and simply being there. “It made me realise how incredibly difficult it must be for patients who don’t have someone like that.”

While much of Hugh’s ICU stay is a blur, one moment remains vivid. “A nurse showed incredible kindness. She took me, still in my bed, to look out a window at the world outside. That moment felt magical.” It is a small act, but one that speaks volumes about the human impact of intensive care.

After ICU, Hugh faced a long and challenging recovery. “The first time I tried to walk, I could barely manage 10 steps.”

He also lives with ongoing effects of a hypoxic brain injury, impacting his reading, writing and memory. But step by step, he began to rebuild. A key milestone was returning to parkrun, a community he had been part of for years. “I started by walking, then walk-running. It became my benchmark for recovery.”

Beyond physical healing, the experience has reshaped Hugh’s outlook on life. “I’m more reflective now. More emotionally connected. I often find myself overwhelmed when I think about the care I received, especially from Meridee.”

Hugh’s recovery has also been supported by his 2 sons, friends and community. His gym group, cycling friends and the parkrun community provided motivation and a sense of belonging.

Reflecting on his experience, Hugh says there is a deep need to not only survive, but to understand and reconnect with what happened. He has since met and thanked many of the clinicians and paramedics involved in his care, something he describes as incredibly important to his recovery.

He also highlights simple but powerful ways to support ICU patients and families, including keeping a diary, bringing in photos and helping patients piece together their story afterwards. “These things fill in the details of a lost time in my life and help you feel whole again.”

For families facing a loved one in intensive care, Hugh’s message is simple: “Be there if you can. Advocate for them. Keep records and take photos. And don’t underestimate how important your presence is.”

Today, Hugh continues his recovery with determination and optimism. He has returned to exercise, embraced lifestyle changes and remains focused on rebuilding his strength and cognitive function. Most importantly, he is alive thanks to the quick actions of his wife, the skill of first responders and the lifesaving care of the intensive care team.