Latest news with #Dawn-Lorraine
West Australian
14-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Australia's original golden girl Dawn Fraser reveals her heart stopped weeks after a serious fall
Australia's original golden girl Dawn Fraser revealed her heart stopped weeks after she had a serious fall at her Sunshine Coast home in December last year. The Australian Olympic swimming legend suffered multiple injuries including broken ribs and required a hip replacement when she hospitalised five months ago. Doctors told the 87-year-old it was not a safe operation and she could die, and asked if she would give consent to her daughter Dawn-Lorraine to make medical decisions. 'That was the frightening part, was the fact that I might die under anaesthetic and I didn't want to die that way,' Fraser told 10 News presenter Sharyn Ghidella. She said Dawn-Lorraine and grandson Jackson were out when she fell on the driveway of their Sunshine Coast home, but she managed to use her mobile to call her neighbours. 'It was a shock for me. Thank goodness my neighbours were home and came over and looked after me,' Fraser said. They called the ambulance and she was taken to hospital where she later underwent surgery. 'I wasn't going to give in. When I die I want to be with my family.' Weeks after the fall, she suffered cardiac episode while at the local surf club. 'Unfortunately, I started to feel very faint and I fainted,' she said. 'They said that my heart had stopped for five seconds and I had a very low heart rate.' She was then fitted with a pacemaker. Fraser's recovery hasn't been easy, and she's lost 22kg and briefly became depressed. 'It's been a nightmare, she's been a nightmare,' her daughter Dawn-Lorraine told Ten. Jackson said 'I always saw her as invincible.' Since she returned home, Australia's 'living treasure' said she was a 'little bit fragile on her feet' and 'it's a fight every day'. But she has returned to the pool to rebuild her strength. 'So I've just started (swimming), and I've got to accept that doing that sort of exercise that I used to do when I was training has kept me going. 'I think, you know that's very important for your health and for my family too.' Fraser is one of Australia's greatest Olympic athletes winning two golds in the 100m freestyle and 4x100 free at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. She reclaimed gold in the 100m freestyle at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and again in 1964 at the Tokyo games. She broke 27 world records and was the first female athlete to be handed a Legend status by the Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 1993.
7NEWS
14-05-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
Australian swimming great Dawn Fraser makes personal admission about frail health
Australian national treasure Dawn Fraser has revealed how close she has come to death ... on two occasions. The Olympic legend suffered a nasty fall at her Noosa home last December which landed her in ICU with multiple injuries. The 87-year-old swimming champion has also revealed that weeks after that incident her heart stopped in another terrifying ordeal. Fraser tripped on an unfinished driveway at her home, breaking her ribs and a major hip bone. She was hen rushed to hospital. 'When the anaesthetist came in, he said that I could die … And that was the frightening part, the fact that I might die under anaesthetic, and I didn't want to die that way,' she told Channel 10. At the time Fraser gave her daughter, Dawn-Lorraine Fraser, the power to make medical decisions for her. 'The anaesthetist came in … and asked, 'did I give my daughter consent?' I said, 'Yes, I did.'' The anaesthetist then asked Dawn-Lorraine a staggering question. '(They said) I want to know if I have to resuscitate her, and I said, 'Are you serious?'...,' Dawn-Lorraine told 7NEWS last year. 'Yes, you will resuscitate her; my mother is a fighter and you will make sure you do everything to save her.' Fraser is widely considered to be one of Australia's greatest sportspeople. And when they took her into surgery, her message to the staff was crystal clear. 'I'm going to fight,' she said. Dawn-Lorraine said the doctor told her that her mother probably would not survive. She responded: 'This is Dawn Fraser. She's not just an 87-year-old. She is tough. I know my mother.'' While Dawn survived, a few weeks later she suffered a scary heart issue. 'I was at the meeting at the surf club, and we'd finished, and I went downstairs to get a lift home,' she said. 'Unfortunately, I started to feel very faint, and I fainted. I was unconscious for 5-7 seconds, and I vomited everywhere, and I just didn't understand what had gone wrong. 'The ambulance took me to Noosa Hospital … they said that my heart had stopped for five seconds, and I had a very low heart rate. 'The doctor came in and said, 'I'm putting a pacemaker in,' because we'd had a few stoppages of the heart … I've had the pacemaker in there for eight weeks … and he saved my life.' She said was still facing several issues and every day was a battle. 'I can still shower myself and take myself to the bathroom, but I can't make my own bed or open many doors,' she said. 'It's a fight every day, but at least I'm doing it. 'Some days I feel 87. Other days, I don't … I lost a lot of strength and weight, but I'm fighting to get it back.'
Sky News AU
14-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News AU
Dawn Fraser reveals ‘My heart stopped'
Australia's original golden girl Dawn Fraser revealed her heart stopped weeks after she had a serious fall at her Sunshine Coast home in December last year. The Australian Olympic swimming legend suffered multiple injuries including broken ribs and required a hip replacement when she hospitalised five months ago. Doctors told the 87-year-old it was not a safe operation and she could die, and asked if she would give consent to her daughter Dawn-Lorraine to make medical decisions. 'That was the frightening part, was the fact that I might die under anaesthetic and I didn't want to die that way,' Fraser told 10 News presenter Sharyn Ghidella. She said Dawn-Lorraine and grandson Jackson were out when she fell on the driveway of their Sunshine Coast home, but she managed to use her mobile to call her neighbours. 'It was a shock for me. Thank goodness my neighbours were home and came over and looked after me,' Fraser said. They called the ambulance and she was taken to hospital where she later underwent surgery. 'I wasn't going to give in. When I die I want to be with my family.' Weeks after the fall, she suffered cardiac episode while at the local surf club. 'Unfortunately, I started to feel very faint and I fainted,' she said. 'They said that my heart had stopped for five seconds and I had a very low heart rate.' She was then fitted with a pacemaker. Fraser's recovery hasn't been easy, and she's lost 22kg and briefly became depressed. 'It's been a nightmare, she's been a nightmare,' her daughter Dawn-Lorraine told Ten. Jackson said 'I always saw her as invincible.' Since she returned home, Australia's 'living treasure' said she was a 'little bit fragile on her feet' and 'it's a fight every day'. But she has returned to the pool to rebuild her strength. 'So I've just started (swimming), and I've got to accept that doing that sort of exercise that I used to do when I was training has kept me going. 'I think, you know that's very important for your health and for my family too.' Fraser is one of Australia's greatest Olympic athletes winning two golds in the 100m freestyle and 4x100 free at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. She reclaimed gold in the 100m freestyle at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and again in 1964 at the Tokyo games. She broke 27 world records and was the first female athlete to be handed a Legend status by the Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 1993.
News.com.au
14-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Australia's original golden girl Dawn Fraser reveals her heart stopped weeks after a serious fall
Australia's original golden girl Dawn Fraser revealed her heart stopped weeks after she had a serious fall at her Sunshine Coast home in December last year. The Australian Olympic swimming legend suffered multiple injuries including broken ribs and required a hip replacement when she hospitalised five months ago. Doctors told the 87-year-old it was not a safe operation and she could die, and asked if she would give consent to her daughter Dawn-Lorraine to make medical decisions. 'That was the frightening part, was the fact that I might die under anaesthetic and I didn't want to die that way,' Fraser told 10 News presenter Sharyn Ghidella. She said Dawn-Lorraine and grandson Jackson were out when she fell on the driveway of their Sunshine Coast home, but she managed to use her mobile to call her neighbours. 'It was a shock for me. Thank goodness my neighbours were home and came over and looked after me,' Fraser said. They called the ambulance and she was taken to hospital where she later underwent surgery. 'I wasn't going to give in. When I die I want to be with my family.' Weeks after the fall, she suffered cardiac episode while at the local surf club. 'Unfortunately, I started to feel very faint and I fainted,' she said. 'They said that my heart had stopped for five seconds and I had a very low heart rate.' She was then fitted with a pacemaker. Fraser's recovery hasn't been easy, and she's lost 22kg and briefly became depressed. 'It's been a nightmare, she's been a nightmare,' her daughter Dawn-Lorraine told Ten. Jackson said 'I always saw her as invincible.' Since she returned home, Australia's 'living treasure' said she was a 'little bit fragile on her feet' and 'it's a fight every day'. But she has returned to the pool to rebuild her strength. 'So I've just started (swimming), and I've got to accept that doing that sort of exercise that I used to do when I was training has kept me going. 'I think, you know that's very important for your health and for my family too.' Fraser is one of Australia's greatest Olympic athletes winning two golds in the 100m freestyle and 4x100 free at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. She reclaimed gold in the 100m freestyle at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and again in 1964 at the Tokyo games.
