A Frailty Nurse Practitioner with 25 years’ experience in the NHS who survived a sudden cardiac arrest has been reunited with the ambulance crews who saved her life, describing their care as “outstanding” and their actions as the reason she is here today.

Now 52-year-old Dee was at home in East Sussex when her husband Will found her unresponsive in June 2024.

Dee’s husband immediately raised the alarm, called 999 and spoke to Emergency Medical Advisor, Teresa Taylor, who coached him on how to perform CPR on Dee, while Resource Dispatcher, Lauren O’Leary, coordinated a team of seven clinicians to their home.

When SECAmb teams arrived on scene, they found Dee in cardiac arrest. Thankfully, Emergency Care Support Worker, Leah Corney, Newly Qualified Paramedic, Charles Bastin, Paramedic, Ian Le Page, Operational Team Leader, Martyn Hall, Associate Ambulance Practitioners, Gary Shadbolt-Smith and Emily Goldsmith, and Critical Care Paramedic, David Staplehurst, delivered five shocks with a defibrillator before achieving a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Once Dee was stabilised, she was conveyed to the Conquest Hospital where she was ventilated in intensive care, going on to make a remarkable recovery and being discharged just three weeks later.

Now back home with her family, Dee recently had the chance to personally meet Ian, Emily, Gary and Leah who all played a crucial role in her survival.

Despite extensive tests, doctors have been unable to determine the cause of Dee’s cardiac arrest. She now has an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) which is a device implantable inside the body, able to perform defibrillation.

Dee is now focusing on her recovery at home with her family and remains forever grateful to those who came to her aid in her time of need.

With half of all out of hospital cardiac arrests witnessed by a bystander, learning how to confidently perform CPR is crucial. Click here to learn more about CPR courses in your local area.

Speaking at the reunion, she said “I will never be able to put into words my sincere thanks and appreciation for all those involved. I want to thank every single person who treated me and supported my husband that day. Your care and service were outstanding, and I am lucky enough to be living proof of this.”

“Just carry on doing what you are doing because each and every one of you are incredible human beings,” Dee said. “Thank you seems such a small word, but what do you say to people who saved your life?”

Ian said “Reunions like this are incredibly special. Our crews rarely get to see the outcomes of their work, so to meet Dee again, hear her story, and know she is recovering well is truly rewarding. Her words mean a lot to us all.”

Dee added “Meeting the ambulance crews was such a positive experience for me and it formed a valuable part in my healing process, I highly recommend others to reach out to SECAmb as I did. I firmly believe if more bystanders learnt CPR and used this training in those crucial minutes there would be more success stories like mine.”