Community shows heart to arrivals

Otago Daily Times

01-07-2025

Gore couple Stefanie Mayer and Brendon Humphries (left) encouraged, their neighbours Zach Liu and his wife Eleanor to seek hospital care when they saw Zach looking pale. The advice led to the timely diagnosis and treatment of a serious heart condition. PHOTO: SUPPLIED/ELEANOR LIU
A Chinese family says they were lucky to have landed in Gore, after getting encouragement from their neighbours to head to hospital, thereby averting a life-threatening crisis.
Eleanor and Zach Liu moved from Guangzhou, a city in China, to Gore last year to work at a local oesteopathy clinic.
Mr Liu, who practises traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, was walking home one evening when his neighbours, Brendon Humphries and Stefanie Mayer, noticed he was a bit pale.
Continuing into the night, and even cooking dinner, Mr Liu again felt strange with a tightness in his chest and a shortness of breath, but did not think much of it.
Ms Mayer said after being told by her partner about Mr Liu's condition, she checked in with her neighbours on Whatsapp, and encouraged a checkup.
"Zach was walking past the house, and he was holding his chest and was struggling to breath, [Brendon] said you're not looking good.
"My background is actually as a nurse in Europe, so I said yeah, you'd better go to A&E. I was very persistent to take him in and get checked out," he said.
After being kept overnight in Gore Hospital, Mr Liu was transferred to Invercargill for further testing, where an ECG showed irregularities.
Dunedin was the next stop, where Mr Liu underwent an angioplasty and had a stent inserted into his heart.
Despite worries about traversing the medical system in a foreign country, Mrs Liu and her husband were very impressed with the service they received.
"I can speak some English but nothing about hospitals, specifics. We were very nervous, but [Gore Health staff] were so kind, warm, and helpful.
"The other thing was, when he was [discharged from Dunedin Hospital], they sent a Chinese translator to make sure he understood everything."
It was a close call, but Mrs Liu said it was the neighbour's reaching out which made the world of difference.
"We were really lucky. Without the reminder from our neighbour, we might have ignored it," she said.
Now Mr Liu is recovering at home, but the messages and goodwill from the community are pouring in, which Mrs Liu said is an incredible feeling.
"Our boss [Mike McLeod] has experienced everything with us.
"We have no siblings, or family here, but he supported us as family.
"His patients are sending messages and emails, it makes us feel not lonely, it's so important," she said.
Health scare aside, Mrs Liu's family said they have come away with a better appreciation of their new home.
"It became a real turning point for us as new migrants. "Even when you don't know anyone, you're not alone for long. People check in, step up, look out for you.
"Thank you Gore. You might be small, but you've got a mighty heart," she said.
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