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• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 41-50 >> Interview 17 >> She wanted her husband to be able to breath by himself but it was difficult to focus only on this because other things kept going wrong.

Her husband was admitted to ICU because of a brain aneurysm. She spent eight weeks visiting him in two different hospitals, sometimes staying overnight.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 41-50 >> Interview 03 >> A few days into her son's ICU stay, doctors found out that he'd ruptured his spleen and she was shocked to learn, yet again, that he could die.

In 2004 her 17-year-old son was a passenger in a car that was involved in a serious accident. He spent 17 days in ICU.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 70 + >> Interview 26 >> Her sister-in-law got better and worse so many times she felt embarrassed giving updates to others, though people were very understanding.

In 2006 her sister-in-law sadly died in ICU after having an accident in her car. She visited her daily and took care of all the practical matters.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 61-70 >> Interview 37 >> His wife's time in ICU felt like a roller coaster because she kept improving and deteriorating, but he, his son and daughter spent as much time as the

His wife spent 49 days in ICU because of severe lung problems. After her illness, he became involved in helping improve services for ICU patients.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 31-40 >> Interview 29 >> The journey to the hospital was difficult because they didn't know how his partner's mother would be, but he felt close to the family and wanted to su

His partner's mother was admitted to ICU after an accident in the home. He lived with them at the time and tried to provide emotional support.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 31-40 >> Interview 35 >> At the time she desperately wanted to know if her mother would survive but doctors couldn't tell her because they didn't know themselves.

Her mother was admitted to ICU because of gallstones and other complications. She visited her every day, often with her two young daughters, and kept a diary.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 51-60 >> Interview 04 >> In the early stages no one could give her information or hope on whether her son would be brain damaged after his accident.

In October 2004, her son had a motorbike accident and was admitted to ICU. He had a serious head injury and broken jaw.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 61-70 >> Interview 14 >> Her husband's leg amputation was his only hope for survival but he might still have died during the operation.

She has cared for her husband full-time since he had a heart attack and life threatening infection that meant he had to have his leg amputated.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 31-40 >> Interview 35 >> She was devastated when her mother had to have further surgery because she could have died during it.

Her mother was admitted to ICU because of gallstones and other complications. She visited her every day, often with her two young daughters, and kept a diary.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 31-40 >> Interview 18 >> After saying her goodbyes to her friend, all she could do was wait until after the operation for further news.

Her best friend spent two weeks in ICU. She was the closest person to her, visited her daily and is now her main carer.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 51-60 >> Interview 19 >> Doctors couldn't say for sure whether her brother would ever be himself again, and she was told that recovery from head injuries was often long and un

Her brother had an accident while cleaning his motorbike. He had severe head injuries and spent almost four weeks in ICU, where she visited him daily.

• Intensive care >> Intensive care: experiences of family & friends >> Aged 51-60 >> Interview 07 >> They were devastated about the possibility that their son's life support machine could be switched off and felt it was too soon to make such decisions

Their son was admitted to ICU in 2005 with bacterial meningitis. It was a traumatic time but he is now back home and has made excellent progress.