Just found out today my brother is having open heart surgery is in theatre as I type.

He has a virus which is poisoning his blood and within a week it has reached his heart and he is having aorta valve replacement at this very moment.

Im devastated.

I need to get to London from Perth asap he is in Hammersmith Hospital and need to find cheap flights as money is very tight.

Do I go to Heathrow or Gatwick dont know london at all.

Need accomodation.

He has no other family estranged from parents and a bit of a loner.

Feel useless just need to be there with him.

He was a fit 45 year old and thought he had the flu 2 weeks ago and tried to fight it himself with panadol.

Had a tattoo done and then came down with this virus we are not sure if its related.

Please help me find a cheap flight and say a prayer for him.

Many thanks

Maggy

Not sure I can help you with the flights...just wanted to wish you and your brother all the best.xx

maggy, sorry your in this predicament, hope it gets sorted soon.

Are you sure its defo open heart surgery, as , i think????????, that this can be done keyhole now, which obviously lowers alot of risks.

Let us know how things go

Thanks Mags

Spoke with Docs and its open heart surgery.

They need to try and locate what they call a puss ball which is travelling throughout his body and poisioning the blood.

It had reached his heart and caused damage and if not located can travel to his brain and cause paralysis and blindness.

Just want to be there with him

xxx

Here is site I have found when I was booking my flight to Adelaide they were the cheapest.

http://www.bestflights.com.au

here is few more just to compare prices.

http://www.flightcentre.com.au

http://www.statravel.com.au

http://www.directflights.com.au


I hope all goes well with your brother, I really know Hammersmith well my dad lives there also my OH is from there too, here is the list of the hotels, B & B you can try to pick through.

http://www.hotellink.co.uk/docs/uk/l.../hotels002.htm

and another one to check,


http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/stay-ha...arls-court.php

I'll do prayer for your brother tonight, hope everything goes well, Good luck honey, if you need anything else about the area let me know.


Farideh x

Heathrow is your nearest airport to Hammersmith, you can get Piccadilly line from the airport & you dont even need to change lines to get to Hammersmith, you really dont want to hire a car for that area as parking cars is absolute hell, & Taxi's from the airport would be very expensive.

Can't help with the flights etc but wanted to wish your brother all the best and I hope he gets through the surgery OK

Thankyou so very much tears flowing just now and arguing with hubby as he cannot see why I would want to go home to be with my brother.

Thinks im wasting money.

**** I feel so useless right now

Thanks doll I appreciate it

xxx

Sorry to hear your news.

Not sure if this is helpful in your case, but when I was working at Flight Centre I heard about the airlines giving special rates to people of immediate family for bereavement. Maybe give an airline a call to check if they can do anything for an emergency of your immediate family. Might need a letter from his doctor.

Otherwise stand-by is an option. Rock up to the airport and wait. Often the flights that aren't completely full are sold cheaply about a third of the price. Spoke to a couple that did this regularly and this seemed to be a good way to get about if you can wait a few flights in case they are full.

Hope your bother does okay

I know what you are going through, & its very hard, but if you can make your OH see how much you need to be there for your brother its not total waste, thinking of you in this sad situation.

So sorry, I can't help you in any way.

Hope that you find a cheap flight home, and that all goes well for your brother.

Maybe your hubby has no close family and can't understand why you need to do this.

I think you should do what you need to and sort things out with hubby after you've been back to the UK to help your brother.

Take Care,

M

Hope you manage to get a flight!!! Fingers crossed.
Try phoning the airlines direct and explain the situation, you never know it might help! Big hugs xx

Best thing you can do is call Qantas first, then other airlines - Singapore would probably be the second choice. Qantas always try to deal with emergencies sympathetically, so call them and explain exactly how urgent it is, and see what they can do. Don't bother with websites, for last minute short-notice "I need to go now" flights, calling the airlines direct is the best.

As already said, go into Heathrow if possible, easy to get into London on the Underground. Failing that, Gatwick, and get the Gatwick Express train into Victoria.

Thakyou so much to everyone need to go home asap so will prob book online tonight one way as I cannot afford return as i also need to pay for accomodation when i arrive.

Dont know how I will find return flight money but whats important is that I am there with Ian just now.

Away to phone hospital to see if he is out of surgery.

My brother comes first in these circumstances.

Thanks to everyone

xxxx