A tourist has credited the quick thinking of a night receptionist at a Sliema hotel with saving her life, enabling her to celebrate her 90th birthday this year.
Ruth Burton, a British national, expressed heartfelt gratitude to John Cuschieri, 66, the night receptionist at the Preluna Hotel, for his swift actions when she suffered a heart attack in November last year.
“It’s all thanks to John’s quick thinking that I am here again this November,” Burton said.
Burton, who turned 90 in May, has been a loyal visitor to the Preluna since 2001. Every November, she travels to Malta to escape Lincolnshire’s cold winters and attend the Remembrance Sunday services. These trips are part of an annual tradition that holds sentimental value, rooted in the memory of her late husband, Alexander Burton, a Navy serviceman.
However, last year’s visit took an unexpected turn.
On the evening of November 14, following a game of Uno with her daughter Anne and son-in-law Peter, Burton began feeling unwell.
Ruth Burton’s late husband, Alexander Burton, served in the Royal Navy.'I could feel something was wrong'
“I went to bed and began to feel ill, and then I started to feel even worse,” she recounted.
At around 2 am, feeling hot, sweaty, and experiencing pain in her shoulders, Burton called reception to request medical assistance.
“Her voice was very emotional, and I could feel something was wrong,” Cuschieri said.
Recognising the urgency, Cuschieri promptly arranged for another staff member to cover the front desk and rushed to her room. There, he found Burton shaking in bed and acted quickly to manage the situation.
“I rushed back down and called the ambulance,” Cuschieri recalls. He also informed Burton’s family, who were staying at the same hotel, ensuring they could accompany her to the hospital.
Burton was having a heart attack
An ambulance arrived within minutes. Tests confirmed Burton was having a heart attack, but timely intervention saved her and eventually allowed her to recover.
Cuschieri, who has worked at the Preluna Hotel for 46 years, says he was just doing his job.
“I am positive my colleagues would have done the same thing. I am not special,” he said, crediting only his ability to remain calm in emergencies.
“This happens quite often – at least once every two months,” he said.
But Burton remains deeply grateful for the receptionist’s quick thinking, which allowed her to continue her long-standing tradition of visiting Malta for Remembrance Sunday.
The Preluna Hotel is a popular choice for older tourists during the winter months. Many, like Burton, consider it a second home. Burton and her late husband began visiting Malta each November to attend Remembrance Day services, forging a deep connection with the island.
Although Alexander did not serve in Malta during his Navy career, he had stopped there during World War II. Over time, the couple developed a strong affection for the island, making it their sole holiday destination.
A photograph of Ruth Burton and her late husband Alexander Burton in Golden Bay with a Tennyson quote.'I don't do any other holidays, just Malta'
“I don’t do any other holidays, just Malta. It feels like you come to live here for three to four weeks,” Burton said.
Dressed in a vibrant red shirt, a poppy-print skirt and a Maltese cross necklace, Burton proudly displayed her husband’s medals. Since her husband’s passing in 2018, she has continued the tradition, often attending the commemorations with her daughter, son-in-law and grandson Steven who wear’s Alexander’s medals.
For Cuschieri, the heart attack episode was all in a day’s work but over the last year kept thinking whatever had happened to her.
“It was like winning the lottery”, said Cuschieri when he saw Burton walking through the doors of the Sliema hotel.
For Burton, his actions meant the world, and she repeatedly thanked him. A lifetime of memories on the island now includes the moment it gave her another chance at life.
“I’ll keep coming back as long as I can, and even then, they might have to carry me out!” Burton said.