By Ben Kerrigan-
The professional nurse from Newzealand is in high spirits after receiving a big boost after Uk prime minister, Boris Johnson publicly expressed warm words of gratitude to nurses who took care of him in hospital, mentioning her name in particular.
Jenny McGee’s professional status has jumped higher than the already high recognition she had before the prime minister mentioned her by name when expressing his gratitude to the support he receives. Mr Johnson was discharged from St Thomas’ in central London on Sunday, after spending three of seven nights on the ICU. The prime minister said there was ‘no question’ that the NHS saved his life. In a moving message on Easter Sunday, the prime minister said:
“The reason my body in the end did start to get enough oxygen was because for every second of the night they were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed”, said Mr Johnson.
“It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life,” Johnson Tweeted.
“I want to thank the many nurses, men and women, whose care has been so astonishing,” he said in the video, listing a number of the people whose help he appreciated. “Because for every second of the night they were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed,” he said.
“So that is how I also know that across this country, 24 hours a day, for every second of every hour, there are hundreds of thousands of NHS staff who are acting with the same care and thought and precision as Jenny and Luis.”
Within hours of Boris Johnson’s mention of ‘Luís from Portugal’, President Marcelo had managed to locate the health professional in question and extend his own thanks. The site of the presidency informs that Marcelo “telephoned this afternoon to London and personally transmitted his thanks to nurse Luís Pitarma”. The president took the occasion to “also thank the efforts of all Portuguese health professionals that in Portugal and all over the world are giving decisive help in the combat of the pandemic”.
McGee’s old school, the Verdon College in Invercargill. They said the community was “so proud” and that she had wanted to be a nurse since leaving in 2002. The school said: “Our sincerest admiration for the work and dedication of past pupil Jenny McGee who was singled out by UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson for helping him get through his serious illness due to Covid-19.
“Thanks Jenny for your courage, outstanding work and the example you have provided for everyone at this difficult time. Your old school community is so proud of you! Her brother Rob said he had spoken with McGee just as she was “about to head off to do another night shift”.
He told the paper: “We are all very proud of Jen, not just in the support she gave Boris – but what she has been doing helping everyday people.
“Whilst she is blown away by Boris’s recognition, she is just really pleased to see the public recognition for the amazing work the NHS is doing – that made her really proud.”
The nurse’s father, Mike McGee, also said:
“I think over the years she has always told us that her job is one-on-one nursing with very critically ill people and that means she’s there all the time for 12 hours.
“So once we’d heard that Boris Johnson had gone into intensive care it was obvious that at some stage Jenny would possibly run into him and be giving him the same level of care that she would have given anybody else the week before or next week and we’re really proud of her.”
Mr Johnson, who said the “NHS has saved my life, no question” after spending seven nights in St Thomas’, was discharged at the weekend. Johnson’s office said in a statement that he would continue his recovery at Chequers, the prime minister’s country house.
“On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work,” the statement said.
“He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas’ for the brilliant care he has received.”