To John’s team-mates of the Motorcycle Union of Ireland (MCUI) medical team and the staff of Beaumont Hospital, in Dublin, who tended to John and tried their utmost to save his life, please accept our sincere and heartfelt thanks for the care John received from you.
Thank you for all the help and support you so willingly gave us, John’s family, during our short time with you. We could not have asked for anything more during the few heart- wrenching hours we spent with John before he passed.
Everyone we came into contact with showed such deep compassion and commitment, nothing seemed too much trouble and everyone did all they could to help. Even when you were busy, you took time to check that we were ok and coping. Please consider this letter is our expression of thanks and gratitude to everyone involved for the care, consideration and respect you showed to John. Without doubt, you all helped us to cope with this dreadful situation and heartbreaking outcome. We will not forget any of you.
To our biking fraternity: Thank you for including Janet and John in your ‘family’. John so enjoyed indulging his passions for motorsport and medicine while saving lives in Ireland’s highways and byways. John always said his weekend office stopped him becoming a boring anaesthetist and our John could never be called boring!
To all those who came to escort John home from Beaumont Hospital, joined us on his last lap of his favourite circuit, the Tandragee 100, and on his final journey to his resting place – thank you for being there. Our appreciation also goes to An Garda Siochána, the PSNI, North Armagh Motorcycling Club and Marshall’s Association for ensuring safe passage during these journeys.
Please continue to show your support for the MCUI medical team as they operate a man down.
John’s teaching and lectures live on through SMACC (Social Media and Critical Care) and we hope he continues to encourage and inspire resuscitationists and trauma medics to be the best they can be.
To the media who showed us the utmost respect in our hour of despair and respected our need for privacy at this sad time and to the photographers who kindly sent countless photographs of John at work and on his motorbike. A heartfelt thank you as these wonderful memories captured the essence of John and will sustain us in the dark days ahead.
To all those who sent letters, cards, social media messages or flowers, left food, called at John and Janet’s home or at John’s parents’ house – your touch, hugs, support and words will never be forgotten.
To Ian Smith and staff at John Smith Funeral Directors thank you for supporting us through such a difficult time with such professionalism.
Finally, while we now need time and space to grieve for John in private, we passionately believe in maintaining his dream that Northern Ireland should have a first-rate trauma network with a doctor-led helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) at its core, so that our survival rates are improved and more lives can be saved. Please sign the petition supporting the call (http://chn.ge/1JFkFSZ). Please DO NOT part with a penny until an official trust or charity fund is launched to support John’s vision. This may take months to set up so please be patient.
It remains our dearly-held wish that John’s unique call-sign of ‘Delta 7’ is once again heard over the ambulance service airways as the HEMS helicopter is cleared to land on the helipad of the roof of the Royal Victoria Hospital, or in a field or country lane to provide life-saving medical intervention to anyone in need. Until then, and while we heal, we would reiterate Dr Fred MacSorley’s call for people to make a commitment to go and donate blood so that others may be saved or, in our case, buy enough time to say goodbye to a loved one. (#one4hinds text BLOOD80061).
Thank you all so much.
We will never forget you.
Dr Janet Acheson, Dermot, Josephine, Peter & Colin Hinds
Picture caption: Doctor John Hinds and his partner, Dr Janet Acheson, pictured in Sydney, Australia, in March 2014, where John was lecturing at the SMACC (Social Media and Critical Care) Gold conference and working with the Greater Sydney Area Helicopter Emergency Media Service (a pre-hospital and retrieval medicine service serving the critically ill and injured patients in New South Wales, Australia). For more information go to: Greater Sydney Area HEMS
02842728379