Thornbury cardiac arrest survivor is reunited with lifesaving ambulance crew
A grandmother from Thornbury has been reunited with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) ambulance crew who helped saved her life after she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.
Ann Evans collapsed while walking home from the park with her grandchildren on Wednesday 1 October 2025. Members of the public immediately rushed to help, providing vital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until ambulance crews arrived.
Once on scene, SWASFT paramedics delivered advanced life support and stabilised Ann before conveying her to Bristol Royal Infirmary. Ann spent 29 days in hospital, during which she underwent a double heart bypass and valve replacement, and was diagnosed with coronary heart disease and aortic stenosis.
Now back home and continuing her recovery, Ann, along with her daughter Carla and her grandchildren, were able to meet some of the crew who attended to her, when they visited Almondsbury Ambulance Station in December. She was reunited with Paramedics Matthew Mills, Lulu Hands and Kumari Mahendran, as well as Clinical Team Manager Philip Olds.
Ann said: "It was wonderful to meet Matt, Lulu, Philip and Kumari today. The realisation that, without their help, I possibly wouldn't be here has really stayed with me. To say I'm grateful is an understatement. Being able to thank them in person is incredibly special. My recovery is steady and am going from strength to strength making good progress towards a full recovery."
Ann's daughter, Carla O'Shaughnessy, said: "The response from everyone was incredible. At one point there were around fifteen people involved in helping my Mum, including the medics and kind people who happened to be passing by. It was frightening to witness, particularly when she was placed into an induced coma on the pavement, but I knew she was receiving the very best care. I want to sincerely thank everyone who helped save my Mum."
Matthew Mills, Paramedic at SWASFT said: "It was a real pleasure to meet Ann and her family again. Being reunited with patients we've cared for is incredibly meaningful. Seeing Ann doing well and moving forward with her life reminds us why we do this job. We all wish her the very best for the future."
With survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK remaining at less than one in ten, Ann's story highlights the vital importance of bystander CPR and access to public defibrillators. Ann is now passionate about raising awareness of these lifesaving skills and hopes to encourage others to learn CPR and how to locate and use a defibrillator.
To find out more information about the importance of CPR, visit the Saving Lives Together page on the SWASFT website.