‘Heartbeat House is like a home away from home’
WHEN Max Gaudion went in for heart surgery in Southampton, he knew his wife Jenny would have a home and community near the hospital to support her while he recovered.
A third of the guests at Heartbeat House – a 23-bed home-from-home for friends and family of heart patients – are Guernsey residents.
It is free to stay, making it accessible to all, with charity Wessex Heartbeat organising the fundraising.
When Mr Gaudion went for his surgery Mrs Gaudion stayed at Heartbeat House for more than two weeks.
‘We knew Max was going in for an operation, it was planned and we had been waiting since February and then got the call in August,’ she said.
‘I booked Heartbeat House, and it was nearly full, but they gave us a twin room so my daughters could come and visit as well.’
The doctors said that everything went well with Mr Gaudion’s operation, but they kept him asleep for four-and-a-half days due to fluid and a partially collapsed lung, and the need to regulate his heart.
‘In the house, everyone was in a similar position, all with different stories but they were such a lovely group and so supportive. You’d have your up and down times, but so did everyone, and there would always be someone to help you through it,’ said Mrs Gaudion.
‘If I’d been in a hotel I can’t imagine what it would be like, I would have been so lonely.’
Mr Gaudion, who is well-known for showing his weaving skills at the Viaer Marchi, said that knowing his wife was safe at Heartbeat House made him feel better throughout his stay in hospital and recovery.
‘When she visited me she told me a lot about everyone else in the house,’ he said.
‘It really helped me knowing that there were people around and she wouldn’t have to walk all the way back to a hotel in the dark because the house is so close.’
Heartbeat House has 23 bedrooms and is a three-minute walk from Wessex Cardiac Unit, University Hospital Southampton.
The lounge looks out onto a garden, where guests can sit and relax, along with a conservatory.
Since leaving, Mrs Gaudion has joined a group chat with other people who stayed in the house to keep in touch. Three other Guernsey families stayed at Heartbeat House during Mrs Gaudion’s stay.
‘We all got on so well, a few of us would sometimes go out for a coffee or do a bit of shopping.
‘It felt like I shouldn’t be enjoying myself, but we couldn’t just sit around all the time or we’d be over-thinking.’
Because many people turn up to the house unexpectedly, the cost is £35 for a key deposit and option for donations during their stay.
‘A lot of people don’t seem to know about Heartbeat House,’ said Mrs Gaudion.
‘It’s like a home away from home, it really was comforting. When you’re feeling very emotional and you go back to the house and everybody’s there to back up how you’re feeling, it makes it all easier. I really can’t say enough good things about it.’
The team behind Heartbeat House have stayed in contact with the Gaudions after their departure from Southampton, and head of business and donor development Tina Tolley visited them on her recent visit to Guernsey.
‘It has been a true privilege to get to know Jenny and Max. When we have a loved one staying at Heartbeat House, we never normally get to meet their family member undergoing cardiac surgery,’ she said.
‘We must not forget the loved ones looking in and are also going through a difficult time.’
Heartbeat House costs £87,000 to run each year.
n For information on the charity and its work, visit https://www.heartbeat.co.uk/
