Your Call - Issue 16

Experiencing your 12-year-old daughter go into cardiac arrest is not something you would expect – this was a reality for parents Ben and Rebecca.

On the afternoon of Sunday 10 October last year, dad of two, Ben was at home recovering from injuries he had sustained just a few days before after a cycle accident.

Suddenly Ben heard his daughter Charlotte, aged eight calling him to come to the garden. Sensing a little panic in her voice, Ben, holding his broken ribs, slowly made his way to the garden when he saw his elder daughter Grace, 12 lying on the trampoline with his wife Rebecca with her, so his first thought was Grace had fallen and hurt herself.

Ben quickly realised something was seriously wrong with Grace, after seeing vomit in her mouth and her eyes fixed. She wasn’t breathing, so Rebecca quickly called 999 while Ben started CPR, a skill he had learnt though a first aid course at work.

Realising immediately that trying to perform CPR on a trampoline was futile, they managed to drag the trampoline and quickly move Grace to a garden picnic bench.

Ben recalls: “I started chest compressions and breaths, but I was scared I was hurting her, but the 999-call taker was giving me clear instructions to ensure the chest was rising between pumps, and to slow my pace as I kept increasing the speed.”

Very soon after, the garden was full of emergency responders, who allowed Ben to continue with compressions while they started other interventions to help Grace. A defibrillator was used, and it took four shocks before there was any signs of life.

Grace, who is autistic and born with a heart condition that is regularly monitored, was quickly rushed to Manchester Children’s Hospital where she was placed in an induced coma. After a few days in ICU, it was time to slowly bring her out of the coma.

Ben said: “Due to Grace’s needs, we ensured either Rebecca or I were there for Grace the second she opened her eyes. It was a scary time as we didn’t know if Grace would have suffered brain damage as she had stopped breathing for 20 minutes.

“When she started to stir, despite all the noise around us, I spoke to Grace and her head turned in my direction, so I knew she recognised my voice. I then asked her to put her thumb up if she was ok, which she did, it was an amazing moment, I knew my little girl was going to be ok.”

Grace has since been fitted with an internal defibrillator, something which was planned for her in the future anyway, and she has made a remarkable recovery. She was back home two weeks later to recover in her own surroundings which made this much easier for Grace.

When asked about the overall care Grace received, Ben said: “There must have been around 100 people involved in Grace’s care; the 999-call handler, paramedics, nurses, doctors and surgeons, there are too many to mention, everyone played a huge part in saving Grace’s life and the care she received, and continues to receive, has been outstanding, we cannot thank them enough.

“We’re still coming to terms with what happened, and we are trying to focus on the positives. Grace is doing well, she’s even back on the trampoline, but with the added security that the internal defibrillator is keeping track of heart rate and keeping her safe.

“I think my message to everyone reading this is, try and learn CPR. Starting CPR within a minute or two of a cardiac arrest can help a person’s survival, thankfully Grace is living proof of this.”

WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A CARDIAC ARREST.

A cardiac arrest is the most extreme emergency and happens when the heart stops beating in a normal way, preventing blood from pumping around the body. Knowing how you can help could save a life.

For someone in cardiac arrest they will die within minutes unless treated immediately with CPR. You can be performing CPR whilst waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

If you come across someone in cardiac arrest, just think DRS ABC:

DANGER – keep calm and check the scene is safe to approach

RESPONSE – shout “are you alright?” and shake the person’s shoulders

SHOUT FOR HELP – send someone for help and call 999

AIRWAY – tilt the head back gently to open the airway

BREATHING – check for normal breathing by looking at the chest to see if it is rising and falling or listening for abnormal sounds such as infrequent and noisy gasps

COMPRESSIONS – if the patient is not breathing normally, start hands only CPR pushing hard and fast in the centre of the chest.

If there is a defibrillator nearby send someone to get it. You do not need prior knowledge of how to use one as it will give clear instructions. It could save someone’s life.

How to do CPR:1. Kneel at the side of the patient

2. Put the heel of your hand in the centre of the chest with the other hand on top*

3. Keep your arms straight and elbows locked4. Push down hard and fast – twice per second

5. Let the chest come back up before you press down again

*Use one hand for a child and two fingers for a baby.