Lifesaving NHS team reunited with Bognor cardiac arrest survivor

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Harold Lee, 76, has been reunited with the NHS paramedics who saved him from a life-threatening heart attack.

The Bognor Regis resident reported sharp chest pain and dizziness to his wife, who immediately called 999. Paramedics Megan Bishop and Lucy Lilliwhite arrived minutes later and found Harold visibly unwell.

“Harold seemed like someone who led a very active life, but the symptoms were clear, he was in distress,” said Megan, a Newly Qualified Paramedic with South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb).

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Harold was rushed to hospital as quickly as possible, but his condition deteriorated on the journey, and Critical Care Paramedic Bernard Robinson joined the response team just as Harold went into cardiac arrest.

Harold, centre right, and his wife with the SECAmb team that saved his life.Harold, centre right, and his wife with the SECAmb team that saved his life.
Harold, centre right, and his wife with the SECAmb team that saved his life.

The team performed CPR immediately and delivered two shocks with the defibrillator, successfully reviving him. “Seeing Harold’s heart start beating again was a huge relief,” Lucy, a SECAmb paramedic, said.

At the hospital, Harold went under the knife to clear a blocked artery and now, three months later, he has been reunited with the team that saved his life.

“I don’t remember much, but I firmly believe it’s a miracle that I’m here today,” he said. “Thanks to the team, I’m back walking, driving, and spending time with my family.”

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Thanks to the team, and after the incident, Harold and his wife have resumed their daily walks, made time for family, and maintained their active involvement in the church community.

It was an especially important case for Megan. She’d worked her way up from an emergency care supporter worker, to a newly qualified paramedic, and Harold’s resuscitation was her first in which the patient survived more than 30 days post-discharge – a career milestone for any young paramedic.

But for everyone involved in the care, the recent reunion was a powerful reminder of their work and its life-saving impact. “To see Harold thriving after such a critical event is why we do this job. It was a pleasure to meet him and his story underscores the importance of early CPR, teamwork and expert care in cardiac arrest patients,” Bernard said.

SECAmb was formed on July 1 2006, and covers an area of some 3,600 square miles across West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Kent and Medway, Surrey and parts of North East Hampshire

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