Welcome Home Dan!

Daniel Mayes and family at Christmas – Contributed photo

Here’s a happy note from Helen Machin-Smith of Island Stage Left with an update on Daniel Mayes…

Dan came home on Christmas Eve after a hellish week but finally after a correct diagnosis and two successful surgeries the decision was made to release him in time for Xmas. He is weak, tired and ten pounds lighter (no food for 5 days, for one thing!) but after scaring us all, including himself, he is on the road to recovery and is very happy to be home.

We had a low key but wonderful Xmas with our son and daughter-in-law (the best we could possibly have asked for), [and we are] reminded once again how fragile life is and how glorious. The three of us shared a very scary vigil for four days when it looked as if Dan might shuffle off the mortal coil.

So many thanks for all the kind messages and offers of help, from our wonderfully supportive island community, for Penelope Haskew, who helped us in a  myriad of ways and whose lovely voice was to have accompanied Dan in our aborted Christmas Memories performance, for the nurses at St Joe’s (unsung heroes!), for the skill of the surgeons, for the gentle and caring Island Air folk, for Jason, the Nurse Practitioner at St Joe’s who finally figured out what was wrong, to our families in England and Portland, supporting us from afar, to Paul and Janie Hart and Birgit Kriete-Bain for giving us rides home, to Wayne Eshelman for looking after our kitties and to all the folk who offered to help.

Dan insists that his biggest thanks must include our son Alex and his wife Emily, and Dan’s dogged, irascible and annoying wife!

In great gratitude,
Helen

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