AN OFF-DUTY nurse is being described as “an angel from heaven” by the man she cared for after he collapsed on the street last week.
Ray Nicholson from Locharbriggs fainted outside a block of public toilets in Dumfries town centre after catching the flu.
The 65-year-old suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which led to the flu virus affecting his breathing.
Luckily, an off-duty nurse was walking past when Mr Nicholson collapsed and she rushed to his aid – wrapping him with her coat and managing to slow his breathing.
He said: “I just feel that God was watching over me that day.
“The fact that this amazing woman just happened to be walking by and she was able to help me like that.”
He added: “I’ve had the flu before but I wasn’t expecting it to be so bad. Because I have COPD it affected my breathing and I had felt my breathing getting worse but I didn’t expect to collapse.
“I just want her to know how thankful I am. It would be lovely if I could meet her again but even if I don’t, I just hope she sees this, knows I’m OK and that I’m extremely grateful.”
A taxi driver saw the situation unfold and called an ambulance – and thanks to the swift action Mr Nicholson is in a stable condition in Dumfries Royal Infirmary.
He said: “I’m thankful to everyone who helped me, including the taxi driver who called the ambulance. If these people just decided to walk by I may not have been so lucky.”
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