The Unexpected Patient

Stories of life, death and unforgettable clinical cases

A psychiatrist and a patient with supernatural connections.

A family man's resilience as he recovers from a life-changing terrorist attack.

A rural nurse specialist and his incredible roadside rescue of a woman on the brink of cardiac death.

A trauma therapist caught in the aftermath of a violent methamphetamine episode.

The Unexpected Patient tells the stories of patients who impacted health carers in unforgettable ways: patients who showed stubborn perseverance on the road to recovery, who clung to hope in the face of unexpected trauma, and who illuminated the indomitable depths of the human spirit.

These stories look at the things that lead to bad health outcomes, from the seeds that are set before we are born, to the personal choices we make, and to societal and health sector shortcomings. Yet, ultimately, The Unexpected Patient is about human relationships and the bonds forged between two people: a medic and that one, unforgettable patient.

About the Author

Himali McInnes is a family doctor who works in a busy Auckland practice and in the prison system. She writes short stories, essays, articles, flash fiction and poetry. She has been published locally and internationally (in literary journals and anthologies), and has either won or been short-listed in several writing competitions. She was an NZSA Mentorship recipient for 2020, and the inaugural Verb Wellington Writers Resident in Oct 2020.

Her writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, often explores the theme of otherness. Himali is also a keen gardener, beekeeper, cook and chicken farmer. She is obsessed with dogs and books.