Kevin Bablee and his wife Anjna have become familiar faces at the Freeman Hospital, but after 362 days, he is finally heading home. The 59-year-old, who was born with a congenital heart defect, underwent a successful heart transplant in March and is now ready to leave the hospital that has been his second home.
Kevin, originally from London, was admitted to St Bartholomew's Hospital on June 4, 2025, where doctors determined that a transplant was his only option. For that, he needed to come to Newcastle. He and Anjna, who met while working in an NHS pharmacy at the Royal Free Hospital over thirty years ago, have become beloved members of the Freeman Hospital community, known for their daily walks through the corridors.
A moving farewell party was held in the hospital chapel, attended by consultants, transplant coordinators, nurses, porters, and even patients attached to monitoring equipment. All treated Kevin and Anjna like filmstars, a testament to the bonds formed over twelve long months.
Kevin shared how walking the corridors and chatting with everyone had been vital. 'Walking from the Smith's end down to the cardiothoracic end of the hospital used to take us eight minutes. Now it takes us at least twenty!' he said. 'I was first in Bart's on June 4 so I haven't been back to my own home in more than a year. When we leave on the 15th it will be three days short of a year just at the Freeman.'
Despite the distance from London, Kevin knows the Freeman was the best place for him. 'When they said it would be the Freeman, I thought 'that's a long way from London...' But it's the best place for us to be!' He is still recovering, but each day brings improvement. 'I'm still getting tired - my legs weren't used to doing very much - but I just need to strengthen the muscles in my leg. I've been told each person is different and it can take up to a year to get back to normal.'
The couple expressed immense gratitude to the staff. 'We couldn't fault the staff at all,' Kevin said, adding that 'the whole jigsaw' of NHS workers at the Freeman had played a role in his recovery. He also thanked his wife: 'If it wasn't for Anjna, I wouldn't have stayed here. I'm sure I would have given up and gone home.'
Kevin also paid tribute to his donor and their family. 'I really want to thank the family of my donor - and the donor themselves - for the fact they were willing to donate their heart.'
Wellwishers have called the couple adopted Geordies, and Kevin joked that their friends are welcome to visit them in Barnet, North London - 'just not at the same time!'
Anjna added: 'If we hadn't come to Newcastle, we would not have made so many tremendous friendships. We have met some truly amazing and outstanding people. The care, love, kindness and generosity has been incredible. When we came here, we had no-one in terms of family and friends nearby, but now it feels like our second home. It's absolutely amazing to have gone on this journey. They are all angels here.'
'You can feel something amazing in Newcastle. Lots of Geordies have helped to take us out on trips to the beach or into town and it's really touched us.'
In a moving thank you to those who visited them in the chapel, Anjna concluded: 'On behalf of Kevin and I, I would like to thank everyone for what you have done to make our lives easier. Our journey has been amazing. Yes there have been difficulties and challenges, but we have come through with your help. My husband has had the gift of life and we want to say thank you to the donor and their family for allowing that to happen. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.'
