VANESSA O'Connor admits to being "very apprehensive" at returning to the Royal Gwent Hospital's intensive care unit - and with good reason.

For it was there early in the evening of Saturday March 26 that doctors fought for five hours to save the life of the 53-year-old, from Cwmbran, including restarting her heart three times.

But she was determined to make the trip with husband Terry, 52, and children Dean, 26, Michelle, 25, and Jamie, 18, to say an emotional "thank you" with a fundraising donation of more than £1,000.

Mrs O'Connor suffered a heart attack and three cardiac arrests that Saturday evening, having earlier returned home to Bowleaze, Greenmeadow, Cwmbran, after working a shift in the optician's department at Asda in Cwmbran.

Luckily, by the time the heart attack struck, she was in the Royal Gwent's A&E department, taken there by her husband after complaining of chest pains.

"They say the best two places you can be if this happens are A&E or intensive care, so Vanessa was very lucky," said Mr O'Connor.

"She'd not been feeling well for a few days, but this was out of the blue. Everyone thought we were going to lose her, but the staff fought so hard to save her. They called her their miracle.

"Every time she arrested, they brought her back. They were magnificent."

Mrs O'Connor suffered her heart attack - where the blood supply to the heart muscle is disrupted, starving it of oxygen and damaging it - in the A&E department.

Rushed to the resuscitation unit, she was transferred to the critical care unit's intensive care section where she suffered the three cardiac arrests - her heart stopped beating - as staff battled to stabilise her.

Transferred to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Mrs O'Connor had surgery to fit a heart stent.

For several days she was in an induced coma and after a period in intensive care at UHW she was transferred back to the Royal Gwent's unit for another five weeks.

After three further weeks at County Hospital, she finally returned home on June 10.

"I can't remember much for weeks after coming home from work that night," said Mrs O'Connor.

"But I know from Terry and the children how hard the doctors and nurses worked to keep me alive."

Work pals raised £1000

WHILE Mrs O'Connor began the long road to recovery, family and friends, including colleagues at Asda, organised a sponsored walk in aid of the Royal Gwent's critical care unit.

"I cried when I heard what they were doing. It was a great idea," she said.

"I was very apprehensive but determined to come back to hand over the money. They saved my life."

Twenty-eight people took part in the walk, which raised £1,013 and covered eight miles, from Asda in Cwmbran along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal to the visitor centre at Fourteen Locks, Rogerstone.

"It was a really good day," said organiser Rhiannon Taylor, a workmate of Mrs O'Connor at Asda.

"We miss her and it's great to say thank you like this to the people who saved her life.

"Thanks are due as well to Jensen's Coaches in Pontypool, who provided us with free transport back from Fourteen Locks."