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A New Zealand nurse praised by Boris Johnson for helping to save his life said treating the prime minister was the “most surreal time in her life”, her parents have said.
Jenny McGee, along with Luis Pitarma from Portugal, was praised by the PM for standing at his bedside “when things could have gone either way”.
Ms McGee’s parents told Television New Zealand they are “exceptionally proud”.
They said she treated Mr Johnson like any other patient.
Mr Johnson was discharged from St Thomas’ Hospital in London on Sunday, one week after being admitted to be treated for coronavirus. He spent several nights in the intensive care unit where he was given oxygen.
He said the NHS “has saved my life, no question” and paid tribute to many medics, singling out Ms McGee and Mr Pitarma specifically.
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Ms McGee’s parents said they knew Mr Johnson was in the hospital their daughter works in as “it was all over the news”.
“But our daughter’s very professional so we don’t ask things or she doesn’t spill things. It really wasn’t until he was out of intensive care until she actually told us,” her mother Caroline told TVNZ.
“She said she had just had a most surreal time in her life, something she will never forget. And that she had been taking care of Boris.”
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Jenny McGee
Ms McGee is back at St Thomas’ Hospital working the overnight shift after caring for Mr Johnson
She added: “It makes us feel exceptionally proud, obviously.
“But she has told us these things over the years and it doesn’t matter what patient she’s looking after, this is what she does and I just find it incredible that she, any nurses, can do this for 12 hours.
“Sit and watch a patient, and twiddle away with all the different knobs to keep their patients alive. It’s absolutely amazing.”
Ms McGee is now back at St Thomas’ working the overnight shift, said her brother Rob. He told TVNZ: “We are all so proud of Jen, and what she’s been doing. Not just for Boris, but for every patient she looks after.”
Ms McGee is from Invercargill, on New Zealand’s South Island. The mayor of the city Sir Tim Shadbolt told Stuff.co.nz: “It’s not very often a nurse from Invercargill saves the life of the British prime minister.”
Meanwhile, her former school Verdon College paid tribute to her “courage”, adding she had wanted to be a nurse since leaving school in 2002.
“Jenny is described by her past teachers as an absolutely delightful person and someone who had a caring and humble nature,” the college said in a statement.
The second nurse mentioned by Mr Johnson has been named as Luis Pitarma.
According to the Expresso, Mr Pitarma, 29, is from Aveiro in Portugal and moved to London six years ago. He studied nursing in Lisbon.
It added that he first worked at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital for two years before moving to St Thomas’.
The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has “personally thanked” Mr Pitarma, as well as “the commitment of all Portuguese health professionals who in Portugal and around the world are providing decisive help in the fight to the pandemic”.
Speaking after leaving hospital, Mr Johnson said it was “hard to find words to express my debt” to the health service.
He thanked many nurses by name before adding: “I hope they won’t mind if I mention in particular two nurses who stood by my bedside for 48 hours when things could have gone either way.
“They’re Jenny from New Zealand. And Luis from Portugal near Porto.
“The reason in the end my body did start to get enough oxygen was because for every second of the night they were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed.”