Tests in hospital revealed Brian’s collapse was caused by his aortic valve, which controls the flow of blood out from the heart to the rest of the body, being restricted.

He needed keyhole surgery to install a replacement valve, and has since returned home.

Brian, who will celebrate his 90^th birthday later this month, and Frances praised the ambulance crews for their treatment of him. While George Richards and Christina Clifford drove Brian to hospital, Henry Fielding and Sophie Weaver brought Chewy home and informed Frances.

Frances said: “The paramedics were so professional and reassuring. I felt as though they could really relate to my concerns. I was so impressed by the quality of their care.

“Our Christian faith means a lot to us, and we’ve had lots of people praying for Brian. We believe there were angels there for him. It all comes under the umbrella of love.”

The Swindon Advertiser appealed to find the bystanders who helped Brian, and then arranged for Carol to be reunited with him on Thursday 02 May 2019 .

Carol told the newspaper: “Dogs are definitely a man’s best friend. He saved Brian’s life. It’s heart-rending.”

Brian added: “It’s the story of my life, and here I am to tell the tale.”

Notes:

The group photo shows: Brian Corrigan (right); his wife Frances (left); Carol Dyer (back); Brian’s grandson, Alfie; and Brian’s dog, Chewy.

All photographs have been kindly provided by the Swindon Advertiser. If you would like to publish the photos, please credit: Dave Cox, Swindon Advertiser.

The humble cup of tea has a long and proud association with the NHS. Originally served to patients in traditional fine cups with saucers and a teaspoon, tea was considered an important aspect of patient satisfaction and recovery.

Tea brings us all together. It breaks down social boundaries, and like the NHS and NHS charities, is a symbol of comfort and community.

All money raised from Big Tea parties will go towards:

• Supporting our volunteer heroes - providing enhanced equipment and training to our Community First Responder groups.
• Supporting our exceptional people - providing equipment and enhancing facilities, extending access to sources of help and support with wellbeing and personal development.
• Supporting our communities - providing defibrillators and basic life support training across the region.

If you’d like to host your own Big Tea Party, email: charity@swast.nhs.uk to get all the necessary information.

After a period of stabilisation, SWASFT Paramedics and one of the BASICS Doctors transported Gillian by ambulance to Torbay Hospital.

She has gone on to make a fantastic recovery, and was given an internal pacemaker to prevent it happening again. 

To listen to the 999 call, click here. 

Gillian, who has no memory of the incident, made a special visit to a SWASFT base in Exeter on 14 May to meet some of those who responded to the emergency.

She said: "I’m incredibly lucky to be alive. Everyone played their part, including the call handler who ensured I had the right response, and the volunteer doctors who were able to arrive so quickly.

“My family and I can never thank everyone involved enough for saving my life and giving us precious time together.”

Before her cardiac arrest, Gillian had been diagnosed with an abnormal heart rhythm and was awaiting a consultation.

Gillian said: “We were watching a film after a day out, and it was the last thing any of us were expecting to happen.”

Two adults with learning difficulties, who live with Gillian and Iain, made the 999 call.  

SWASFT Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Laura Long, gave cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructions over the phone, which the callers passed onto Iain.

Iain added: “I went into resus mode. It was only afterwards that I thought – what if?”

Gillian said: “My husband’s CPR was so effective he cracked several of my ribs and my sternum!

“Although I had the physical trauma, I wasn’t aware of it happening at the time.

“I woke up in hospital the next afternoon, and the first thing I asked was ‘when can I go home?’ and ‘when can I go back to work?’

“Having been a call taker myself, it’s strange being on the other side. I’ve been in the control room when that kind of call comes in, and it does change the atmosphere.

“I would encourage anyone to learn to do CPR. If you don’t do anything, the person will die. So it can make all the difference.”

Due to an electrical problem, Gillian’s heart is still unable to pump blood around her body as it should do. But her pacemaker controls her heartbeat, and can administer a shock if her heart beats too quickly.  

She added: “Although I am restricted in what I can do now, I’m trying to make the most of life, and am enjoying being back at work.”

BASICS Devon Doctors Simon Scott-Hayward, Lauren Weeks, and Nick Ratcliff were diverted from a training exercise with Dartmoor Search and Rescue at Haytor to attend the incident.

Dr Scott-Hayward, who is also SWASFT Primary Care Medical Director, said: “This is a fantastic example of the cardiac arrest chain of survival. That includes excellent and immediate bystander CPR, rapid arrival of a defibrillator, along with stabilisation before transport to hospital.”

A South Western Ambulance Service spokesman added: “Gillian is living proof that can people and do survive cardiac arrests, if they are given the right treatment at the right time.

“SWASFT is enormously grateful for the support provided by all our BASICS volunteers.”

If you suspect someone is having a heart attack or cardiac arrest: call 999 immediately, begin CPR, and use a public access defibrillator if one is available.

Notes:

1. The photos show (left to right): Simon Scott-Hayward, BASICS Devon Doctor and SWASFT Primary Care Medical Director; Iain and Gillian Kirkman; Nick Ratcliff, BASICS Devon Doctor and Critical Care Paramedic for Devon Air Ambulance.

2. Gillian worked for Dorset Ambulance Service from 1991 to 2000. Iain worked for Dorset Ambulance Service from 1989. He later transferred to West Country Ambulance Service, before retiring in 2008. 

Heart attack and cardiac arrest:

1. A heart attack is a serious medical emergency when in which the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. 
2. A sudden cardiac arrest is an urgent medical emergency when the heart stops beating, abruptly and without warning. If this happens, blood stops pumping round the body, and the brain is starved of oxygen. That causes the person to fall unconscious and stop breathing. A heart attack may cause a cardiac arrest.
3. There are approximately 59,000 cardiac arrests in England each year. There are approximately 28,000 attempts to resuscitate people having out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year. The survival rate is just 8% compared to more than 20% in some other countries.
4. The sooner effective cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is started, the better the chance of survival for the patient. For every minute delay, the patient’s chances of survival fall by 10%. If a defibrillator is readily available, patients are six times more likely to survive.
5. If you think someone is having a heart attack or cardiac arrest: call 999 immediately, begin CPR, and use a public access defibrillator if one is available.

But what is it that has kept Mike Merrett working for the ambulance service all these years?  “I just love the job,” he says. “It is the best job in the world (apart from being a Top Gear presenter). I’ve enjoyed seeing the people I’ve treated who have survived traumatic injuries walking around.  Saving people’s lives really has got job satisfaction.”

One of Mike’s lucky survivors has met-up at Stroud Ambulance Station with him and crew who saved her.  Mandy Palk from Stonehouse in Gloucs said: “I’ve known Mike since I was little and I was so glad it was him who came to help me when I wasn’t feeling well.  I collapsed and had a cardiac arrest at home one evening six months ago, and it was Mike and the team who were there to help save me.  It took them six shocks to get my heart started again.  I just felt calm when Mike was there and knew it would be OK.”

The top group photo shows (left to right): Paramedic Sophie Cave; Mike’s wife Dolores Merrett; Paramedic Mike Merrett; Amber (Mandy’s daughter), patient Mandy Palk, Jade (Mandy’s daughter), two of Mandy’s neighbours, and Community First Responder Russell Cooke.

In hospital Ben had a severe pulmonary haemorrhage and a second cardiac arrest. He was not expected to survive the night.

However, he remained alive, and has gone on to make an extraordinary recovery.

Ben made a special visit to the force’s headquarters in Portishead on Tuesday 21 May to meet and thank some of the estimated 100 hospital, ambulance, air ambulance and police staff who were directly involved in treating him.

Ben, who has no memory of the incident, said: “I feel like I’m the luckiest man on earth. I shouldn’t be here; I should have died.

“I’m very grateful for all the care I received from everyone including my colleagues.  

“If you find someone unconscious and not breathing, stay calm and call 999 for an ambulance. And try CPR because you can’t make the situation any worse.”

PC Nathan Sollis, who gave the initial CPR to his colleague and close friend, said: “The adrenaline took over, and we got on with it until the ambulance crews took over.

“We were told he wasn’t going to recover. It was difficult to comprehend what had happened to a very good friend. But he managed to pull through; Ben’s a miracle man!”

SWASFT Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Sigourney Keyte, guided the caller, PC Ryan Thomas, through the basic life support procedure. Meanwhile PC Nathan Sollis did CPR and used the defibrillator, with support from PC Katie Etherton.

A large team of responders – including paramedic land crews, specialist cardiac arrest support tier (CAST) paramedics, and a critical care team from Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) – provided advanced life support in a continued effort to resuscitate Ben.

The critical care team used a mechanical CPR device to administer automated chest compressions on Ben. They also gave him another two shocks with a defibrillator.

Ben was transported to the Bristol Royal Infirmary by ambulance in a critical condition. Paramedics managed to restart his heart in the ambulance before they reached the hospital.

But during heart surgery the significant bleed occurred, and Ben’s heart stopped again.

Hospital staff were able to get his heart beating for itself again. They restored his oxygen levels and his condition improved. 

After being in an induced coma for several weeks, he was released home on Good Friday.

Rhys Griffiths, SWASFT Operations Officer, who was one of the first ambulance responders to the incident, said:

“Ben is a success story where early intervention from his colleagues no doubt saved his life. Without their rapid actions, Ben’s story may have been different. Police staff laid a great foundation for SWASFT to continue resuscitation and utilise our advanced treatment. They deserve much praise for their swift actions on the night of his cardiac arrest.

“This was an ultimate team effort from police, hospital staff, air ambulance and ambulance staff. We all train and educate ourselves to a high level, and it is always an incredible feeling to be involved in making such a huge difference for a patient.”

Dr Sanjoy Shah, Clinical Chair of the Division of Surgery at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Ben suffered a cardiac arrest and was critically ill.

“His survival is a testament to the team work of the SWASFT team and the Bristol Royal Infirmary emergency department, cardiac catheter labs and intensive care unit teams. With excellent care and a huge amount of hard work and determination from the staff, Ben, his family and his police colleagues, he has made a brilliant recovery.

“We’re thrilled with Ben’s recovery and wish him all the best for the future.”

If you suspect someone is having a heart attack or cardiac arrest: call 999 immediately, begin CPR, and use a public access defibrillator if one is available.

Notes:

1. The main group shows Ben wearing a checked shirt with his family standing either side of him. He is also with his police colleagues, ambulance and air ambulance staff, and staff from the hospital. All images were taken by South Western Ambulance Service.

2. A sudden cardiac arrest is an urgent medical emergency when the heart stops beating, abruptly and without warning. If this happens, blood stops pumping round the body, and the brain is starved of oxygen. That causes the person to fall unconscious and stop breathing.

3. CAST is a new initiative under SWASFT’s Saving Lives Together campaign. It is intended to provide specially trained paramedics to support high-quality CPR.

The shoes are intended to give a morale boost to the young person while they are undergoing treatment, and to raise awareness of children fighting cancer.

Alison, who has worked for SWASFT in the Exeter Control Hub since March 2018, said: “Although I’ve always been creative, I’d never done painting when I heard that Superheroes were looking for volunteer Super Artists. But I wanted to help, and challenge myself to do something out of my comfort zone.

“I haven’t looked backed since then. I love being able to make these children’s lives a little bit brighter.”

Alison’s 30^th pair of shoes were for a four-year-old boy who likes ambulances and is a fan of Minions. So she painted an image of the fictional creature dressed in a green paramedic uniform standing beside an ambulance.

Other shoes she has made have featured Thomas the Tank Engine, Harry Potter, Little Mix, Ed Sheeran, and Arsenal football club.

She said: “All we find out is the child’s name, age and what they’d like on their shoes. I had a request from a girl to have an image of her pet chickens on her shoes. Then she sent me a video message to say thank you which was lovely. I was asked to do a fast-track order for a 14-year-old boy, because he was going to pass away soon. I also did a tiny pair of shoes for a toddler, which was heart-breaking to do. And the ambulance shoes were just an opportunity too good to miss!”

The charity, which was founded in 2013, sends out dozens of pairs of shoes each week to children and young people with cancer across the UK.

For more information and to donate to Supershoes visit www.supershoes.org.uk call 01908 274 944 or email admin@supershoes.org.uk.

Notes:

1. Supershoes is a charity that strives to improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of children fighting cancer in the UK by providing them with a pair of custom painted shoes.

2. The charity was founded in 2013 by Sarah White after she saw an article in a newspaper about a four-year-old boy fighting neuroblastoma (nerve tissue cancer).

3. Emergency Medical Dispatchers (999 Call Handlers) respond to emergency calls from the public by providing urgent medical advice and assistance for people in need. They prioritise patients to ensure the most appropriate help is arranged for them. For information and to apply for the vacancies within the Trust, visit NHS Jobs.