An elderly Canadian visitor has applauded hotel and hospital staff after they saved her life.

Elra Schoen, 72, was visiting the Island with her husband Tony for the first time when she collapsed at the White Sands Hotel in Paget last week.

Hotel staff quickly telephoned for an ambulance which arrived at the scene within minutes.

Mrs. Schoen, who had slipped into a coma, was admitted to the intensive care unit where she was later diagnosed with diabetes.

Speaking from her hospital bed last night, Mrs. Schoen praised hotel staff for their quick action.

And she also thanked them for their five star treatment of her husband, who had an anxious wait until doctors were able to diagnose what was wrong with his wife.

"I would like to bless and thank the special people of the White Sands Hotel here in Bermuda and especially Susan Johnston for all her prayers and Michael Brown the general manager for refusing payment for the room after I became ill,'' Mrs. Schoen said.

"My husband has been treated very well and I would also like to thank the specialists and nurses of the King Edward hospital.

"I will always have good and loving memories of the dear people here.

"I would also like to thank my two daughters Bunny and Diana who flew here to be by our sides and the many telephone calls from all the other members of my family, .

"This was our first trip to Bermuda and I always said that I would like to live here but I didn't want to die here. The staff at the hospital saved my life.

"I was right out of it. I just passed out but the ambulance got here very quickly.

"I have heard bad things about the hospital but all I can go on is my own experience and I have to say people here have been wonderful. I don't think I'm being specialised out because I'm a tourist -- they seem to treat everyone well here.

Mrs. Schoen is due to leave hospital later today after making a full recovery and will fly home with her family tomorrow.

But, despite her bad experience, she is determined to come back to the Island again.

"The people here are wonderful and the air is so clean,'' she said.

"I'll definitely be coming back.'' Hotel worker Susan Johnston was flattered by the praise the hotel staff received.

"You just have to put in the extra mile for people - that's our job,'' she said.

"But Mrs. Schoen is a very dear lady. We sent her a card and I know she really appreciated that. I just can't wait to see her again before she leaves.

I felt so sorry for her husband because it must have been a very worrying time for him. He just seemed so lost here.'' ON THE MEND -- Canadian tourist Elra Schoen is visited by daughters Diana Metzger (left) and Bunny Ennis and husband Tony during her stay in hospital.

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