Daily Record By Samantha Booth
A blood transfusion saved cameraman Nigel Hiller-Garvey's life after he was in a car accident in Afghanistan 13 years ago. But Nigel didn't know at the time that the life-saving procedure would leave him with a legacy causing damage to his health and threatening his life once more.
In the crash, the 54-year-old suffered multiple wounds, including a crushed kidney, broken shoulder blade and collar bone, spinal damage and a puncture wound to his stomach.
The severity of the injuries meant the emergency treatment he received when arriving in hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, was the difference between life and death. During the blood transfusion, Nigel contracted Hepatitis C, a stigmatised and misunderstood disease that many people assume is only contracted through drug abuse or, incorrectly, through sexual contact. However, thanks to advancements in treatment, Nigel has now made a full recovery after more than six months of gruelling treatment.
But when he was first given the shock diagnosis two years ago, his life once more seemed to hang in the balance.
Nigel, who lives in Glasgow, said: "When I discovered I had Hepatitis C, 11 years after the blood transfusion, I was shocked and more than a little bit scared.
"Like many people, I wrongly thought it was something akin to HIV.
"I had thought it was something which affected intravenous drug users and I was also stunned to discover it's not a sexually transmitted disease.
"It can be contracted by simply getting a tattoo or even sharing a toothbrush.
"I am still incredibly grateful for the blood transfusion, because without it, I simply wouldn't be here. But I could not have imagined back then that having a procedure that saved my life would leave me in this situation years later.
Nigel, who has worked around the world with various charities as both a designer of wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs and later as a cameraman, only discovered he had Hepatitis C when he underwent a routine check up in 2008.
When the doctor asked if he had ever had a blood transfusion abroad, Nigel explained about his accident in 1997 and how he had been feeling in recent years. Nigel, who is currently in Samoa filming the rebuilding of villages hit by last year's tsunami, said: "I had been feeling tired, but I put it down to getting older and having spent so much time travelling the world working in extreme conditions.
"There were times when I would get to lunch and feel so tired I didn't know how I was going to make it through the day.
"I was physically exhausted all the time and got rashes, but I didn't realise I was unwell.
"I also had bad joint pain in my right arm, but being a cameraman I put that down to the weight of the camera."
Nigel's doctor decided he should be tested for Hepatitis C.
The diagnosis left him wondering about his future and he was unprepared to deal with the negative public perception of the condition.
He said: "Before I was diagnosed I had no idea of the stigma which surrounds Hep C, but it leaves you feeling alone and fearful. I got a mixed reception from people when I told them. Some were calm and cool about it, while others were quite put out to say the least.
"One of the best things that happened to me was meeting a senior UN official who told me he had it too.
"Suddenly I knew someone else in the same position as me and that helped.
"It was worrying that even although it is not sexually transmitted, my wife also had to be tested.
"The guilt that goes along with that is terrible, but thankfully she was negative."
Nigel finally started treatment in September 2008. For six months he was given weekly injections and had to take eight pills every day.
He said: "The treatment was gruelling, although I know it affects people differently. For me it took a lot out of me both mentally and physically.
"I had severe depression and had terrible skin rashes, nausea and aching.
"I did feel quite ill at certain points, but I believe it was all worth it because I feel so much better now."
Nigel finished his treatment last summer and although the improvement in his health was gradual, three months after he completed the course of drugs, he was like a new man.
"I suddenly found myself wanting to go out cycling again," said Nigel. "I even went back to work and I remember being out in the field thinking I simply couldn't have managed all the things I was doing two years before. That was amazing.
"I have a new lease of life and because of that, I have been getting out in the world as much as possible.
"I feel like I have finally got my life back after thinking I was getting old before my time.
"I am delighted to be able to work all day in the sweltering heat and humidity and just feel naturally tired.
"I still have to be careful with alcohol and take care of my diet, though."
Nigel had been working for Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal when he was in the accident.
He had been travelling to Pakistan when his jeep careered off the road into a gully.
He said: "All I remember is waking up in the gully and tasting blood in my mouth. The driver broke his neck and has never been able to walk since."
Nigel received some treatment at the scene but was then rushed across the border to Pakistan, where he was given the life-saving blood transplant.
He said: "I had multiple injuries, my face was smashed to pieces and I was covered in cuts.
"I had lost a lot of blood and had a crushed kidney, so I desperately needed the blood transfusion."
Nigel was in hospital in Pakistan for 10 days.
He was then flown back to the UK where he spent four weeks in hospital. After that, he was bed bound at home for a further three months. Nearly six months after the accident, Nigel flew back to Afghanistan to complete his work.
He said: "I remember when I finally made it back to Afghanistan there was a huge party to celebrate my survival, not knowing what the cost actually was.
"I thought I had my lucky escape and it is not something you think will happen again."
When he finished his work in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nigel went to Sierra Leone to work.
However, he had only been there for five weeks when he was evacuated in 1998 to Senegal and then to Sri Lanka.
Nigel said: "I was told that although Sri Lanka at the time was a conflict zone, I was told that compared to other places I had been, it was quiet."
It was there that he met his wife, Australian UN communications officer Lisa. The couple were married in 2000 not knowing that just a few years later Nigel would face the devastating consequences of his blood transfusion.
He said: "Lisa was a huge support to me and now she too can get back to living.
"I have discovered that Hepatitis C is not necessarily a death sentence.
"If you look after yourself you can slow its progression and die with it rather than of it."
May 19th is World Hepatitis Day. To find out more information about Hep C click on www.hepctrust.org.uk
