A LIVER transplant and cancer survivor has thanked paramedics two years on after their quick actions saved his life.
For Paul Brain, December 2020 could have ended very differently after he suffered a cardiac arrest but West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) paramedics Tugce Yilmaz and Darren Neeld were on hand.
The Castle Bromwich resident was 67-years-old when he called 999 as he thought he was having a heart attack due to having strong chest pains.
But after Tugce and Darren arrived Paul’s heart stopped.
During an emotional reunion with Tugce and Darren, Paul said: “I have been waiting more than two years for this moment, when I get to thank you for saving my life.
“I suffered a further cardiac arrest in hospital, as well as a stroke.
“I have now recovered with no ill effects whatsoever, but none of this would have been possible if it were not for their fast and professional actions, and hard work.
“I appreciate how beautiful the blue sky is and how green the grass is every day now, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Paul’s wife, Sue, said: “Thank you for giving me this extra time with my husband.
“I want all frontline ambulance staff to know how much we appreciate what they do, we really do.”
WMAS said only 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, as any delay to administering CPR majorly decreases the chance of survival.
Tugce said: “This case is forever seared in my memory, as many cases we attend are unremarkable but this one will stay with me forever.
“To find out that there has been such a happy outcome means the world to me, and it has reminded me that the job we do can be so important to people.”
