A month ago I had a close brush with death.

Chemistry went wrong during simple maintenance I was carrying out on a dinghy and, with 55 per cent burns from top to bottom, it almost claimed my life.

Over the past 10 days, life has continuously surprised me with a very speedy recovery. I owe my life to the series of teams I had the luck to be assisted by and without whose perfect timing, quick thinking, wise solutions, professional treatment and immeasurable compassion, not only to me but even, touchingly, to my family, I could have easily been a thing of the past.

I received professional treatment throughout, from the firemen and the ambulance team who rushed me to hospital, to the casualty department who diligently put me on the right track for treatment, the ITU staff who was by my side day and night, to the team who is doing an amazing job in putting me back together, in good shape and in such a short time, and the staff and occupational therapist at the burns unit who are so willingly available not only for the lengthy and laborious medication procedures but also for boosting my morale and encouraging me to go one step further every time I cover the distance of one goalpost.

A final word of thanks goes to my family, friends and managers and directors at Malta Freeport where I am employed, without whose support I have firm convictions I could never find the will to overcome the challenges I was not prepared for.

And that is one lesson I learn as I have hours and days to think on my hospital bed: Fate might bring circumstances on our path that we find impossible to face but life, and God, have their ways of making us see clearly the way of courage and faith which a foggy mind hides into oblivion.