Family Thank Ambulance Service After Dad Stops Breathing

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A father of four has thanked South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) after he survived a cardiac arrest. 

Kevin Scott, 40, collapsed and stopped breathing while looking after his children at home in Westbury, Wiltshire. 

The children raised the alarm, and family friends did CPR and used a community defibrillator to resuscitate him.

Paramedics provided further treatment, and transported him to hospital. He went on to make a fantastic recovery.

The family made a special trip to Trowbridge Ambulance Station on Sunday 5 January to thank staff personally.  

Kevin said: “Thank you to everyone who helped to save my life.

“I have no recollection of what happened, but I have been told of the wonderful care the paramedics and hospial staff provided.

“Without the actions of our children, our friends, the paramedics, and the availability of the community defibrillator, things could have turned out very differently.”

Katrina, Kevin’s partner, said: “This was the worst imaginable experience for our family, but the response could not have been better. Thank you to everyone for all you did. You are all heroes!”

Kevin has a rare condition called situs inversus totalis, which means his heart and other organs are on the opposite site of his body to normal.

His sudden cardiac arrest happened in the kitchen in front of his 10-year-old daughter Aiyana in April 2019. His 13-year-old daughter Elysia got help, and his 15-year-old son Leyton called 999 to inform SWASFT.

999 Call Handler Georgia Birch instructed those on scene who were providing basic life support, while other control room staff organised for crews to be sent to the scene.

Georgia told those on scene to get the nearby defibrillator, which Elysia ran to get.

The family friends, who were doing CPR, used the defibrillator to give Kevin two shocks to restart his heart.

SWASFT Operations Officer Michael Anning arrived first on scene to find Kevin breathing for himself. Michael was soon followed by specialist paramedics Daniel Tucker and James Hubbard. They were also joined by ambulance crew Alice Holt and Angela Welch.

The team stabilised Kevin at the scene and transported him to hospital in Bath before he was transferred to Bristol.

Kevin was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in an effort to prevent it happening again.

Michael said: “The patient’s children were extremely brave in gaining help quickly and obtaining the defibrillator. The lifesaving interventions, including the bystander CPR, made all the difference to Kevin.

“It was great to meet the patient and his family on behalf of the entire ambulance team, including the call handler who provided crucial instructions before we arrived.”

If you suspect someone is having a heart attack or cardiac arrest: call 999 immediately, begin CPR, and use a public access defibrillator if one is available.

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