A chance CPR course hosted at a Kent fire and rescue service station was put to the test when a Hadlow woman used it to save her husband’s life and ensured they got to spend Christmas together as a family.
Hadow resident, Kirsty Finch, had no idea that a CPR course she completed just four weeks prior to her husband’s arrest would prepare her for this ultimate test.
When Cliff Finch suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at their home, it was Kirsty’s calm response and newfound CPR skills she learned with Kent Fire and Rescue at Sevenoaks fire station that helped keep him alive before ambulance colleagues arrived.
The life-changing event unfolded on the morning of Saturday, 7 December. Cliff, aged 58, had been experiencing clammy skin, intense chest and arm pain, and a general feeling of being unwell. Sensing something was seriously wrong, Kirsty called 999.
However, moments after her initial call, Cliff’s condition worsened dramatically. Struggling to breathe, he became unresponsive. Kirsty called 999 again at 08:50 am and was connected to Emergency Medical Advisor Joshua Tyler, who had been working with the ambulance service for just three months.
Recognising the severity of the situation, Joshua categorised the call as a category one emergency, prompting Community First Responder, Dawn Carnes, Operational Team Leader, Joshua Robinson and Paramedic, Daisy Holden to arrive within two minutes.
Over the next critical minutes, a total team of 10 responders worked tirelessly to save Cliff.
As well as Dawn, Josh and Daisy, Associate Ambulance Practitioners Emma Comaish and Daniel Penney, Practice Development Lead Kay Doody, Critical Care Paramedic Dave Hawkins, and the Air Ambulance Charity Kent, Surrey & Sussex team arrived at their home. They delivered seven defibrillator shocks before achieving a return of spontaneous circulation.
Cliff was then transported to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where he underwent life-saving treatment, including the fitting of an implanted defibrillator and stents. After a 17-day stay, he was discharged on Christmas Eve, marking a poignant milestone for the family, even getting to enjoy watching the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special.
Just six weeks after the cardiac arrest, Cliff and Kirsty visited the Paddock Wood Make Ready Centre to meet some of the team who played a role in his survival, including Joshua Tyler, Josh Robinson, Kay Doody, Daisy Holden, and Dawn Carnes.
With less than one in 10 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims surviving in the UK, Kirsty’s actions highlight the vital role CPR plays in saving lives. To follow in Kirsty’s footsteps and learn more about how CPR can help in an emergency, click here.
Daisy said: “Kirsty’s recent CPR and defibrillator training which she completed at her local fire station just four weeks earlier, proved to be the difference between life or death. We’re all so proud of her for staying calm under this immense pressure and performing high-quality chest compressions.”
“It really was a Christmas miracle to be discharged from hospital.” Cliff said, “I feel like the luckiest man alive all thanks to the team of ambulance colleagues.”
James Lang, Immediate Emergency Care Trainer at KFRS, hosts CPR training sessions across the county – including the one Kirsty attended at Sevenoaks.
He said: "It’s the greatest feeling in the world as an instructor to know that someone you’ve taught has benefited and saved somebody’s life. There is no question that Kirsty's swift action contributed to her husband's recovery, and I encourage people to attend one of our CPR and Defibrillator sessions to learn how to give someone a chance of survival.”
Reflecting on the experience, Kirsty stressed the importance of learning CPR, “I’m so glad I took the course as it gave me the confidence to act in those critical moments before the teams arrived. I’d encourage everyone to learn these lifesaving skills. You never know when you might need them.”
Joshua Tyler, who triaged the call said, “This was the first cardiac arrest call of my career and one I’ll remember forever. It was amazing to see Cliff looking so well and to know that early CPR made such a huge difference.”