A WOMAN who was on the brink of death 30 years ago has been reunited with the nurse who played a pivotal role in saving her life.

The heartwarming story comes full circle thanks to the heartfelt wish of late Dr Keith Thomson, a hero from Basingstoke, who was instrumental in making the reunion possible.

In 1993, Catherine Conteh, an 18-year-old from Sierra Leone, faced an excruciating four-day labour that posed a grave threat to both her life and her baby's.

In a remarkable twist of fate, her cries for help were heard by a New Zealand nurse, Aly Hogarth-Hall, who was volunteering with international charity Mercy Ships off the coast of Freetown.

Aly, now 52, vividly recalls the moment she heard Catherine's distress.

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"With Catherine being in labour for four days, the nurse told me that she would die, and the baby would die. It was communicated in a very matter-of-fact way, which shocked me – that this was going to be the outcome without any intervention. I'd never encountered anything like that," Aly said.

Overwhelmed with the gravity of the situation, Aly decided to offer a prayer for Catherine.

Astonishingly, as her prayer ended, help arrived in the form of Dr Keith Thomson, an anaesthetist from Basingstoke.

Dr Thomson selflessly offered to cover the expenses of Catherine's surgery to save her life.

Against all odds, both Catherine and her baby, Regina, emerged from the emergency caesarean completely healthy.

The miraculous intervention was life-changing for Catherine, as maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone remained alarmingly high.

After the successful surgery, Aly and Catherine formed an unbreakable bond.

Gina Willig, from America, also joined them in supporting Catherine during her recovery. The relationship they formed was akin to family, with Catherine referring to Aly as her sister.

However, circumstances led to their separation. Catherine had to seek asylum in Australia with her family due to growing conflict in Sierra Leone, while Aly returned to New Zealand.

Despite the separation, Catherine held Aly close in her heart.

Her daughter, Regina, grew up knowing that her life had been saved by the kindness of strangers, motivating her to become a nurse, just like Aly.

Before Dr Thomson died in April, he had the chance to reunite Aly and Catherine by phone.

Finally, on Sunday, October 1, after three decades apart, Catherine and Aly were reunited in person as they volunteered together on Mercy Ships' latest hospital ship, the Global Mercy, which was delivering more than 2,350 surgeries over the next 10 months.

For Catherine, the reunion held a special significance as she was returning to her hometown in Sierra Leone to serve both Mercy Ships and her country.

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She couldn't believe that she was seeing Aly again in person and described the moment as filled with tears and joy.

Reflecting on this poignant reunion, Aly said: "To see Catherine again, it's very surreal really, and it's not something I ever expected until we made contact again, 18 months ago or so. That's something I never expected to do, so it was overwhelming really."

Both Aly and Catherine acknowledged that the reunion was also a tribute to Dr Thomson's legacy and his dream of seeing them together.

As they volunteer on the Global Mercy, the ship's crew will carry out surgeries and train more than 200 Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals.