Exactly one month after suffering a heart attack, Kent man Steve and partner Tina, were reunited with the ambulance team who helped him.

On the morning of 5 August, Steve was walking his wife Tina to work when he began experiencing what he first thought was asthma. The couple sat on a bench in The Great Lines park, Brompton, but as Steve’s condition deteriorated, Tina dialled 999.

She was connected to Emergency Medical Advisor, Isabel, who immediately triaged the call as a category 2 emergency. Resource Dispatcher, Fleur quickly coordinated several ambulance crews to the scene, dispatching clinicians Mel and Kim, Lauren and Ben, along with Critical Care Paramedic, Ella.

On arrival, the team rapidly assessed Steve and identified he was suffering from an inferior STEMI which is a type of heart attack caused by a blocked artery. The team knew that speed was critical and so they worked together to extricate him from the park and transported him directly to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where cardiology specialists fitted him with four stents to restore blood flow to his heart.

Now, just a month on, Steve and Tina had the chance to thank the people who played such a vital role in saving his life. The couple visited Medway’s Make Ready Centre to meet with Mel, Kim, Lauren, Ben, Isabel and Fleur.

Speaking about the reunion, Steve said “I can’t thank them enough for what they did. They gave me the chance to still be here with Tina, my children and grandchildren. You don’t realise how quickly life can change until it happens to you.”

Tina added “Seeing the team was incredible, they will always have a special place in our hearts.”

Emergency Care Support Worker, Mel said “It’s always special when patients come back to see us. Often, we don’t get to hear what happens afterwards, so to see Steve looking so well just a month later is wonderful. It reminds us why we do the job we do.”

Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Kim said "Seeing Steve back on his feet and full of life is incredibly rewarding. Knowing we played a part in saving his life is something we’ll never forget."