Long road back for veteran sports broadcaster

Brendan Telfer is currently recuperating in a neurosurgical ward in Wellington Hospital. Photo / Herald file

Sports broadcaster Brendan Telfer's distraught wife spoke last night of the family's traumatic past week and the long road to recovery after his near-tragic collapse.

Telfer, 57, has been transferred from intensive care to a neurosurgical ward in Wellington Hospital after he collapsed with a brain bleed at Wellington Airport.

He was placed in an induced coma for two days, amid fears for his long-term health.

Jan McIntosh said last night her husband faced a slow recovery and still wasn't out of the danger zone. "The first 10 days is critical time really, so it's day seven today."

She said his prognosis was positive, but "it will be slow progress. We are a private family but we want people to know we are being looked after magnificently. We feel very much loved."

She said his collapse last Sunday afternoon - Telfer was returning to Auckland after covering the New Zealand Golf Open in Queenstown - was out of the blue.

"He said: 'Why did it happen and is it going to happen again' but we don't know anything further. It's day by day."

McIntosh said some reports that her husband had a stroke or an aneurism were incorrect.

"It's neither of those. It is a bleed on the brain and the medical term for it is a thing called a subarachnoid haemorrhage."

Telfer was taken out of his coma and regained consciousness on Tuesday - he couldn't remember what had happened, but he was able to talk immediately. His memory of the incident came back to him two days later.

McIntosh said Telfer was still in some discomfort but the family had been buoyed by the huge support from the public and the care of the staff in intensive care and the neurosurgery ward.

A tearful McIntosh said she was "profoundly grateful" for messages from people.

"People have told us they are praying for Brendan and I do feel sure that this is really helpful to bring him back to us, you know.

"I sense that support really helps Brendan."

Telfer is a Radio Sport presenter and three-decade broadcasting veteran who has covered several Olympic Games.

He was to launch his new book, A Life in Sport, last week. It is on sale but the launch date has been postponed.