A mother of two young children from Ramsgate in Kent who suffered a decline in her mental health recently had the opportunity to thank her lifesavers as she continues her recovery. Coral Kirklaldie, 41, was overjoyed to be reunited with the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) team. With one in four people experiencing a mental health problem of some kind each year in England, Coral, found
SECAmb colleagues were over the moon to meet a father of three who suffered a heart attack while taking part in a charity football match. Craig Minnican aged 33 from Cliffe in Kent, met with his lifesavers, Emergency Medical Advisor, Chelsea Williams, Resource Dispatcher, Simon Field, Trainee Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Olivia Godman and Newly Qualified Paramedic, Harry Topsfield at Thamesid
A Woking man who received a staggering 15 shocks from a defibrillator to restart his heart was finally able to thank his life-savers in a recent reunion. 62-year-old Ian Marples met the SECAmb team who helped save his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest at his local GP practice on 17 March 2021. Ian was delighted to be able to let the people who saved him know that he was alive and well, suffe
A former 999 call taker put her previous knowledge to good use and called for help when she sensed her partner of more than 30 years became seriously unwell. The calls proved to be lifesaving when avid Brighton & Hove Albion fan Chris Geddes then went into cardiac arrest in front of SECAmb paramedic Kathryn Fox, who along with her colleagues, emergency care support worker Sheenagh Hughes and t
A Kent science teacher, who is lucky to be alive after suffering a tear of his major aorta artery where it exits the heart, is reunited with his lifesavers. With just a 15 to 30 per cent chance of surviving the Type A aortic dissection, South East Coast Ambulance Service colleagues were delighted to be reunited with the father of three from Parkwood in Gillingham, Kent, at Medway Make Ready Centre
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is inviting members of the public to learn CPR, speak to our recruitment team and see our people in action at our Annual Members Meeting (AMM). The AMM takes place at the South of England Showground at Ardingly, West Sussex on Friday 13 September 2024. A range of stalls will be on show from 12.30pm, with tea and coffee served ahead o
A mother of three young children from Sittingbourne, Kent was recently able to reunite with the ambulance service colleagues who helped to save her life last year. Gemma Ledger, now aged 39, suffered a cardiac arrest at her home in the early hours of the morning on 23 January 2023, while her three children now aged two, five and 13 were asleep next door. Gemma’s partner of 18 years, Richard, woke
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is seeking Kent residents who are passionate about serving their local community and interested in becoming volunteer community first responders (CFRs). CFRs provide invaluable support to our frontline clinicians delivering life-saving treatment to our patients before our frontline crews arrive. With large rural areas in parts of Kent, quickly reaching s
A mother of two who suffered a cardiac arrest while at a fitness class in November 2021, was recently able to meet the ambulance service colleagues who helped to save her life. Molly Potter, now aged 26 from Polegate, East Sussex, was at a kickboxing class with her husband, Colin, and sister Amy, on the evening of 19 November 2021 when she collapsed to the floor in cardiac arrest. Molly’s next mem
A man from Cuxton, Kent, who collapsed in cardiac arrest while at his home has been reunited with the team of ambulance service colleagues who helped to save his life. Innes Clark, 53, was at home with his wife Jakki and daughter Izzy on the morning of 12 August 2023, when he started to experience chest pain. Jakki immediately called 999, and while on the phone to Emergency Medical Adviser, Natali