Fit, healthy, Hamilton butcher Michael Coffey certainly didn’t think a workplace accident was on his horizon.

The 60-year-old was at work as normal, when he bent to lift a heavy carton and felt a sudden jolt of pain in his side. Thinking nothing of it, Michael walked around a bit to loosen out, which helped temporarily, until he got home and noticed a bulging in his abdomen.

Unsure what it was, Michael took himself to hospital, waiting several hours before being told to come back the next day. But when he returned, the wait time was even longer and by then he had already lost a day and half’s work with no progress.

“Talking to a few friends and colleagues, I was pretty sure I was dealing with a hernia – but I had no idea what that was at that stage,” Michael says.

Trying a different route, Michael went to his GP to explore his options and get help for the pain he was in, which by then had started to severely affect his mobility and day-to-day life. 

His GP confirmed Michael had a hernia, a condition where an organ or tissue pushes through a weakened spot in the muscle or wall that holds it in place, most commonly in the abdomen or groin.

Hernias require surgery to fix, but following a few more GP visits for his pain, Michael was told his referral had been declined by the public system. 

“I was gutted. I think because I could manage OK with the pain medication, maybe they thought I wasn’t acute enough. I was soldiering on as much as I could, but I was really starting to miss my sport and being fit, and I didn’t want to have to keep taking pain medication just to get through the day,” says Michael.

“So, I went home that night and said a quiet karakia to myself, praying it would work out somehow.”

A prayer answered

Divine intervention must have been at play, because Michael’s prayer came true when he was told a few days later he was eligible for free surgery through the Braemar Charitable Trust’s Community Surgery Programme. Patients who are eligible for the programme are those who have been declined or are unable to access timely care through the public health system and who don’t have insurance or the financial means to pay privately. In Michael’s case, his injury wasn’t deemed severe enough to meet ACC’s eligibility criteria for surgery.

“At one of my GP visits we had been discussing surgery options. I couldn’t pay to go private, and even though it was under ACC, the waiting list was too long and given the pain I was in, I couldn’t keep waiting. My GP mentioned there was a charitable trust that does free surgeries if you meet their criteria, so he made a call and not long after that I had a date for surgery.”

At the same time, the Trust’s manager, Paula Baker, was putting together lists for the upcoming community surgery day in September, a day where Braemar Hospital opens its doors on a Saturday to enable many people to have their surgery thanks to the volunteer efforts of surgeons, anaesthetists, hospital staff and supporters. She was able to add Michael to the general surgery list for that day.

“I was in tears when I was told I’d be getting surgery. Someone was looking after me that day,” says Michael.

Paula says these situations are when the Trust can make a huge difference. “We want to help people enjoy their lives without pain, not just ‘live with it.’ I’m so pleased we were able to help Michael get back to the life he had before his accident, and we’re very grateful to surgeon Linus Wu and anaesthetist Tim Starkie for their support on the day too.

Keen to pay it forward

Now back at work and living an active life again, Michael is keen to spread the word about the work of Braemar Charitable Trust and says how blessed he feels to have been a recipient of the Community Surgery Programme.

“On the day of my surgery, at the Community Surgery Day, I was overwhelmed with gratitude – not just for the surgeon and anaesthetist, but for everyone who gave up their Saturday to show so much aroha for the health needs of our community.

“I left that day with a full heart and I’m determined to pay it forward however I can.”

The Trust has also made it simple for anyone to donate to its work via an online donations portal where donors can choose to fund a specific procedure or donate their chosen amount.