Michael Rosen - Many Different Kinds of Love: A Story of Life, Death and the NHS

Michael Rosen is one of the best-known figures in the children's book world. He is renowned for his work as a poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter. He visits schools with his one-man show to enthuse children with his passion for books and poetry. In 2007 he was appointed Children's Laureate, a role which he held until 2009. While Laureate, he set up The Roald Dahl Funny Prize. He currently lives in London with his wife and children.

For Emma

For Joe, Naomi, Eddie, Laura, Isaac, Elsie and Emile

For Dr Katie

For all the doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational health therapists and NHS staff who saved my life, looked after me, and helped me recover.

Day 12. The years seasons roll by in a night: sweats, freezes, sweats, freezes. Wondered whose mouth I had: I didnt remember it as made of sandpaper. Water is as good as ever.

Tweet from @MichaelRosenYes, 27/03/2020

28/03/20

12:40

Hi guys,

Quick update: weve just spoken to an advanced paramedic on the phone.

He thought Mick doesnt need to go to hospital because his breathing rate is good enough and he can talk in full sentences. He thought the short breath on exertion is the effect of getting over a viral illness. (Mick has been in bed for 13 days and was getting slowly better in the last few days.)

If anything changes and the breathing rate gets more rapid, then we should call 999 in fact he advised Michael to get to the hospital himself I will take him of course, and not wait hours for an ambulance.

The good thing is he doesnt have a temperature and is not coughing.

What the paramedic said about getting over a viral illness is what I was thinking too, so hopefully the paramedic is absolutely right.

Take care all

Lots of love

Emma & Michael, Elsie & Emile xxxx

After Michael left hospital, a local GP and family friend wrote to him to describe the events of the night he was admitted. They had recently worked together on the anthology These Are the Hands: Poems from the Heart of the NHS, giving a voice to NHS staff and raising money for NHS charities. Neither realised at the time that the staff at the heart of the NHS were about to face their hardest challenge or that Michaels life would soon depend on their care.

12th October 2020

Dear Michael,

I know that you have been piecing together the story of your hospital admission and wanted to write to you about that evening.

As the pandemic took hold in the UK, I had seen you were unwell from your Twitter feed and said to your son Joe that Id be happy to help.

On the day that Emma called me, a parcel arrived containing an oxygen saturation probe. Evidence was emerging of the importance of checking oxygen saturations when assessing people with COVID-19 I had one in my doctors bag at work, but had decided that it would be a good idea to buy one to keep at home. I did not realise at the time how important that decision and the timing of the delivery would be.

You had been feeling weak and becoming breathless. I spoke to you and Emma, checked your breathing and heart rate over the phone and said that I felt you needed to be seen and assessed. All calls were going through NHS 111 and I felt relieved to hear you were going to be checked over by a paramedic, thinking that this would be in person.

When I called back to check, Emma said a paramedic had assessed you over the phone, told her that you were likely at the tail end of the illness and advised you to stay at home unless you deteriorated. Although you had not worsened since then, I had a gut feeling at this point that I had to do something more. It sounds unscientific, but Ive learnt to trust this instinct in life and in medicine.

I didnt have any PPE but decided that I needed, at the very least, to check your oxygen saturations and drove straight round. I stood at the doorway and showed Emma how to use it on my own finger and waited for her to come back.

Emma came down the stairs and said, Its 58.

At first I thought this must be a mistake that maybe she had confused this with your pulse which is also shown on the display. But when she told me that your pulse was 115, I knew there was no mistake: oxygen saturations are given as a percentage so have a maximum of 100 a normal level is at least 95%. I had never seen an oxygen saturation this low in someone conscious.

We need to get Michael to the hospital now, I said, trying to remain calm and called 999. I knew that the ambulance service were overwhelmed and it would be quicker to drive you to the hospital but wasnt sure if you were going to manage getting down the stairs. While Emma and Elsie helped you down one step at a time, I continued to try and get through to the ambulance but was put on hold as the service was so busy.