Life saved then lost prompts health action

Patricia Bartlett describes how her husband saved her life during a bowel perforation, then died, fueling a defibrillator campaign.

Patricia Bartlett bears witness to a life saved and a husband lost

Patricia Bartlett explains that a tummy ache led to a perforated bowel and emergency surgery. Her husband Stuart rushed her to hospital, saved her life, and stayed by her side through recovery. Weeks later, while she was in hospital, he collapsed and died. A postmortem found ischemic heart disease and cardiac hypertrophy as the cause, and a defibrillator might have changed the outcome. In memory of Stuart, Patricia started Stuart’s Prevention Plan to fund local defibrillators and CPR training.

The couple built a life around small business deliveries and a close-knit community. After a long courtship that moved from Lanzarote to the UK, they married and created a shared future. The tragedy in March 2025 has left Patricia to navigate grief while turning personal loss into a public health effort that could save others.

This story shows how a caregiver’s quick action can mean life or death for a loved one and how tragedy can spark lasting community impact. It highlights the fragility of health, especially when symptoms are misread or delayed, and it points to a broader push for accessible emergency tools like defibrillators and CPR training. The narrative also invites reflection on the emotional toll families bear when medical crises intersect with business responsibilities and daily life.

Highlights

A life story that ends in grief can still plant seeds for safer, healthier communities.