KEY POINTS:
Suffering a heart attack and then collapsing on stage in front of hundreds of people was a blessing, Manukau City Mayor Len Brown says.
Mr Brown was rushed to hospital after he had the heart attack while giving the opening address at the Pacific Music Awards on May 31. He has been recuperating at home for the past two weeks.
Speaking from his Manukau home yesterday, he said he remembered "absolutely nothing" of the night, but said it was a blessing the incident happened when it did.
"I have to be thankful that I dropped at the awards night. There were four nurses in the front row and two of them were from ICU [intensive care unit].
"It could have happened in the garden or at home - but to have nurses just get up there to help and to put [wife] Shan at ease - someone was sitting on my shoulder."
The 51-year-old had a four-hour heart bypass operation, and underwent a second operation after he suffered a setback while recovering from the initial surgery.
The double-triple bypass operation - where six of his main arteries were replaced - was needed as there was not enough blood getting to the heart.
Mayor Brown said it was "by the grace of God" that he is now on the road torecovery.
"I'm lucky. Sometimes this type of trauma can cause mental instability."
He acknowledged that his outlook on life had changed, with a new understanding of the value of time, among other things.
"It's just absolutely affirmed my work [for Manukau City]. It's the best job in the country.
"I really came out of that hospital with a stronger love for my family. My wife, Shan, has been an absolute rock and pillar for me and Samantha - the eldest - has been a rock for her mother.
"I dropped six-odd kilos and I went in with 70kg. Now I'm rebuilding muscle and power and with a low salt-fat diet."
Mr Brown, a former lawyer, was elected Mayor of Manukau City last October.
He said he had been "absolutely dumbfounded" at the outpouring of love and the messages of support from both South Auckland and the wider New Zealand community.
He also acknowledged the support of hospital staff and his family.
"I go to a different part of the city these days and it's amazing. People come up to me and pat me on the back - not too hard though - and say, 'Great to see ya, good on ya!'
"I don't know these people - they just come up and it's just humbling and I can't understand it."
Mayor Brown's council colleagues have granted him six months' leave to recuperate.
"I'm mindful that the council want me to recover. I'll know when it's time [to return to mayoralty duties].
"I'm absolutely motivated - you've got to keep challenging yourself."
