Norman winning on the course thanks to robot Brian
A Beamish Park golfer has returned to the course and won a competition after becoming the first patient to undergo cancer surgery with the help of a £1.7m robot.
Norman McDonnell received surgery for pancreatic cancer at Sunderland Royal Hospital with the help of a £1.7m NHS robot called Brian.
Just sixth months after the operation, McDonnell won his sixth club tournament, the Doug Whitley Trophy alongside stableford partner Mike Ryan.
He said: “I feel very lucky I decided to have this operation as opposed to other treatments available and the care I received was first class. The biggest difference it has made is the feeling I can get on and live a normal life.”
‘I guess we must have done something right at the hospital’ The surgeon who leads the winning team in the operating theatre visited the club to present McDonnell with his trophy.
Consultant Kanagasabai Sahadevan, himself an all-rounder at Cramlington Cricket Club, said: “It was uplifting watching Norman strike the ball so sweetly off the tee. I guess we must have done something right at the hospital.”
For more golf news, discussion and videos follow @NCGmagazine on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to our YouTube video channel, and sign up to our newsletter
