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The University Hospital of Wales touches more than 1.3 million lives every year.Over its 40 years staff at the hospital have played an important role in some of the saddest, but also happiest times of people’s lives.
Many of those have come forward to share their stories and say thank you to all the staff as part of the 40th anniversary of the official opening by the Queen in November 1971.
Amongst them is former Cardiff
But Dario said he was never in any doubt about the outcome. He said: “Although you’re scared and you don’t know what to expect we never thought of anything different rather than bringing the babies home and living happily ever after.
“Maybe it was the confidence I had in the hospital I don’t know but everything just felt it was going to be ok. I knew in the back of my head we could lose one of them or lose them both but every day we were there – the care was fantastic.
“The amount of passion everyone was working with to keep them alive. They defied the odds.”
Other patients have also come forward like George Chamberlain of Dina Powys who had lifesaving cardiac surgery at the hospital and Barbara Meddick, whose son Adrian
She said: “The staff were excited because it was all new and they were going to perhaps be on duty when the first baby was born. They were lovely, all of them. I remember the old nursing officer and I can still remember her today.
“There as a bit of a fuss. We had all the papers outside, the Western Mail and the Echo, looking through the window waiting for the first picture.”
Were you the first patient pictured above, or do you know who she was? Please contact Chris Davies, Senior Journalist, at chris.davies5@wales.nhs.uk if you have any information.
