Family's heartache: Stroke victim’s husband opens up about sudden death in hopes he can raise awareness for others

The family of a Brisbane mum pronounced brain dead after collapsing while on the phone to a friend has relived the tragic moments as her husband rallied to save her life.

The family of a beautiful, young and healthy mum of four who suffered a fatal brain aneurysm earlier this month have relived the tragic moments after her daughter found her unconscious on the floor.

Alderley woman Julie Nolan, 46, suffered the catastrophic brain aneurysm Saturday November 5, and was sadly declared brain dead the next day.

Her husband, David Nolan, said it was their 11-year-old daughter, Elliana, who found her mother unconscious Saturday afternoon after she had gone to call a friend.

Her friend lost contact over the phone around 2.40pm and Julie was found by her daughter a short time after.

“I performed CPR until the ambulance arrived,” Mr Nolan said.

“But due to the nature of the stroke, it was so sudden and catastrophic that it wouldn’t have mattered had we been sitting right beside her.

“They tell me she wouldn’t have suffered at all, which is some comfort.

“We had no idea that there was any risk of stroke” Mr Nolan said.

“Julie was a non-smoker and a non-drinker, ate healthily, and so on. It was so very sudden and shocking for the whole family.”

The Nolans have ensured that Julie’s loss would not go without the opportunity to do good, by donating Julie’s organs to allow critically ill patients another chance at life.

“Organ donation was something very important to Julie,” Mr Nolan said.

“It was a comfort to know that she was so firmly in favour of (it).

“Julie was able to give the gift of her kidneys to two separate people, as well as her liver and lungs. Her heart valves and corneas will go to a further four people.

“A total of eight recipients — (it’s) an amazing legacy.”

Julie and David Nolan with their children Oliver, 16, Alexander, 14, Alliana, 11 and Zachary, 9.

Married for over 20 years, David and Julie met at a singing group at university where Julie studied physiotherapy, but Mr Nolan describes family and friends as Julie‘s biggest hobby and greatest love.

In a fitting tribute to Julie‘s love of music, friends from their university singing group performed with an emotional Mr Nolan at Julie’s wake.

A wave of tributes from colleagues has also poured out since her death, with Julie having devoted her whole career to Queensland Health.

Starting at Maryborough hospital after university, moving to Redcliffe Hospital, then finally Ipswich hospital, where she had worked for the past 17 years.

“It was a long round trip to Ipswich each day,” Mr Nolan said.

“I sometimes tried to convince her to work somewhere else, but she loved the people and the patients there too much to move.

“The community response has been just incredible”, Mr Nolan said.

“Our kids went to St Columba's primary school, we had the funeral at the church and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of the amazing support we’ve received from parents and friends (from our kids) schools.”

Mr Nolan explained how his family had received meal drop offs, school lunches and rosters made up to allow friends over for company.

Julie Nolans organs will be used to help eight people in need

“It's been amazing. Very overwhelming to see how much Julie was loved by this community.”

A GoFundMe set up in Julie’s honour has reached $26,440 in less than a month.

“Hopefully one of the things coming from the GoFundMe page is that more people sign up to the organ donor registry and speak to their families to make their intentions well understood,” Mr Nolan said.

“The money that we raise is intended for stroke research and/or to fund equipment for the RBH (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital) Intensive Care Unit, but if even a single person agrees to donate their organs as a result from this, that would far outweigh any money that we might raise,” Mr Nolan said.