A businessman has named an award-winning racehorse after a London NHS nurse who helped him recover from a heart attack over Covid Christmas in 2021. Coronary Care Unit Manager Breege Skeffington only found out about the touching tribute when watching the horse race at Royal Ascot.
Betfair co-founder Andrew Black, 61, said he wanted to show Breege how much she helped him during a difficult time in his life.
Andrew was rushed to St George’s Hospital in Tooting after suffering a heart attack on Boxing Day 2021 – one of the most important days in the racing calendar. Due to lockdown restrictions, friends and family were unable to visit Andrew – but he said Breege ‘kept him going’ by spending time talking to him, which he will never forget.
He said: “Breege would come and chat to me, to keep my spirits up. We spoke about horses and she told me she was a fan of racing. Her taking the time out to keep me company really meant something to me, as recovering from a heart attack is a difficult situation. I felt so vulnerable being in hospital and she really helped me.”
Coronary Care Unit Manager Breege Skeffington “honoured and privileged” that Andrew had named the horse after her
(Image: St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Andrew, who lives in Cobham, had to have stent puts into his heart to unblock his arteries and was recovering in the critical care unit. He said: “I really was not in a good way. We weren’t allowed visitors so it was a very lonely time. Breege kept me company through such a difficult time and was so caring. I truly appreciate that and I really wanted to thank Breege for her kindness.”
He added: “You can’t have a good experience in critical care but Breege made it as good as it can be. She made a difficult time bearable.”
Because of her brilliant care, he decided to name his racehorse Breege after her. The namesake horse has now won a number of prestigious races and once pocketed a whopping £280,000 prize for her delightful owner by galloping first past the post ahead of her rivals.
Breege discovered Andrew’s moving homage by chance, when she was watching the Royal Ascot on TV. When a presenter asked Andrew where the name came from and he revealed the story, Breege realised she was the nurse in question.
He invited Breege to meet the champion filly with Andrew at Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex. She said: “I am honoured and privileged that Andrew has named one of his thoroughbred horses after me. We had a fantastic day at the races. The day highlighted for me the respect and admiration for nurses and medics in general”.
Call 999 immediately if you think someone might be having a heart attack. The faster you act, the better their chances.
Symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
- pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy
- feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- sweating
- shortness of breath
- feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
- coughing or wheezing
- The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion.
For information on help for problems with gambling, visit https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/gambling-addiction/
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