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Guest Character Profiles > Demi Vinton Angela Twigg

Dr Demi Vinton 2007-
Occupation: General Physician, Neurologist at Erinsborough & District Hospital

Following weeks of worrying symptoms, Paul Robinson finally had some tests done by a specialist and was informed by neurologist Dr Demi Vinton that he had a brain tumour, which was advanced and the only course of action was surgery, which itself carried a lot of risks. Dr Vinton advised Paul that he would need the love and support of his family, little realising that his cruel behaviour had alienated everyone around him and, as a result of the brain tumour, he was seeing visions of a man named Fox, who was telling him not to let the doctors near him. As the pain finally became too much, Paul escaped Fox, but collapsed before he reached his car. A passing jogger called for an ambulance and, at the hospital, Dr Vinton told Paul that the risks were now even greater since he’d taken so long to return for treatment.

Once again, Fox appeared to Paul and warned him not to have the operation, so Paul left the hospital. Paul’s daughter, Elle, found her father at his flat, arguing and fighting with thin air and claiming that there was someone with him. She realised that something was seriously wrong and rushed him to the hospital where Dr Vinton told her everything that had been going on with Paul’s illness. He was rushed in for surgery, but not before Fox appeared one last time, warning Paul that he would never wake up. Paul did wake up, but the operation had done irreparable damage to his memory and he had no idea who Elle was or what had happened to him in the last twenty years of his life.

Some months later, Dr Vinton was on hand when lawyer Toadie Rebecchi was rushed in with a suspected heart attack. After some tests, Dr Vinton confirmed that it was actually a panic attack and that he needed to make some changes to his life, removing the stressful elements, if he didn't want it to happen again. Not long after, she treated Richard Aaronow, who was knocked unconscious during an altercation with his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Napier. Having tracked down Richard's notes, Dr Vinton explained to Rebecca, and their two sons, Oliver and Declan that he was in end-stage renal failure and, without a kidney transplant, he'd be dead within weeks. Declan then made the decision to donate, though his reasons weren't entirely decent, as he wanted to keep Richard alive so that he could attend court and face charges of raping Rebecca. Though Rebecca refused to allow Declan to have the operation, Oliver was old enough to go ahead without her permission. Dr Vinton them prepped Oliver and Richard for the operation, which was a success, though it left Richard seriously ill and requiring several months of recovery.

Dr Vinton was on hand to treat another Ramsay Street resident when 16-year-old Bridget Parker was the victim of a hit-and-run accident and left badly hurt. At the hospital, Dr Vinton rushed Bridget in for an emergency operation to relieve bleeding on her brain. It was a success, but Bridget remained unconscious, much to the distress of her parents, Steve and Miranda. When Dr Vinton then turned off Bridget's life support machine, everyone was upset to realise that she wasn't yet able to breathe unaided and would need more time. Shortly afterwards, Bridget suffered an epileptic fit, which Dr Vinton explained was quite normal after head traumas, but the family had to continue to wait for her to wake up. When Bridget's vengeful brother Riley, a cadet at the Erinsborough News, wrote a story about how Susan, the hit-and-run driver, was carrying on with her life as normal, a break went through her window, hitting her stepdaughter Rachel. At the hospital, Dr Vinton kept Rachel in overnight as she was suffering from concussion, and Rachel went to see her comatose friend and begged her to wake up, only to be shocked when Bridget moved her fingers. The following day, Bridget started to wake up properly and although she quickly regained normal brain function, Dr Vinton was forced to break the news that she was paralysed down her left side and may never fully recover.

Some weeks later, Susan was in court over the accident, when she suddenly passed out again. After telling her husband, former doctor Karl about some of her other symptoms - tingling hands and chronic tiredness - he started to worry that there was more wrong with her than the menopause, as had originally been diagnosed. After calling in a favour, he arranged for Susan to have some tests at the hospital, and Dr Vinton then broke the news to Susan that she had been suffering from TIAs - a series of mini strokes, which, if left untreated, could lead to a bigger, more serious stroke. However, further tests then ruled this out, leaving them all back at square one. When Susan suffered some numbness in her hands that led her to pick up a scalding hot, Karl started to worry that all of the symptoms were pointing to something more serious. Demi refused to make any firm diagnosis until more tests had been run, but when Susan then suddenly lost her sight during a shopping trip, Karl brought up the fact that he suspected multiple sclerosis. Demi finally agreed to give a distressed Susan an MRI scan, the results of which confirmed that Susan had MS. Susan struggled to cope with the news and demanded a second opinion, so a multiple sclerosis expert was brought in from the city, who only confirmed the first diagnosis. Alone that night, Susan became distressed as she couldn't even get herself some water without knocking things over, but Demi quickly came to help and comfort her. And as Susan's sight slowly began to return, Demi told Susan that she could go home with her family.

Biography by Steve

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