Heart attack survivors meet with first responders who saved their lives
It’s been just over one year since Mathew Graham was face-to-face with the paramedics that saved his life.
“Strangers came to my house that night and did absolutely everything in their power to make sure I got to breathe the next day. I’m eternally grateful for that," said Graham.
After visiting his doctor in 2021, Graham was told that his thyroid levels were off the charts and he was advised to stop taking his medication. His fiancé performed CPR on him the day he went into cardiac arrest while at home.
Not long after paramedics arrived he was shocked four times. While in hospital, he went into a coma and was put on life support.
“And a few days with some medication I woke up and was able to go home to my family,” he said.
Graham — along with six others — got the chance to meet with the first responders who helped them during one of their hardest moments of their lives.
“Now I get to see my kids grow up. I’m very grateful,” added Graham.
The Middlesex-London Paramedic Service (MLPS) hosted its 8th Annual Cardiac Arrest Survivor Day celebration on Thursday afternoon. The event allowed cardiac arrest survivors to meet the first responders who played a role in saving their lives.
Lynda McNabb went into cardiac arrest on March 1, 2020. After a trip to Costco with her husband Jim, she was feeling unwell. She suddenly felt as if she couldn’t speak.
“I felt like something was leaving my body at the moment,” she said.
She was rushed to the hospital after two paramedics helped get her into an ambulance.
McNabb spent 16 days in the ICU with no recollection of the first nine days of her stay in the hospital. After a difficult recovery, she is now relieved to be able to walk and talk again.
“I want to say thank you to the heroes who worked so hard to keep me going until I reached the hospital,” she said.
McNabb added that she is overwhelmed to be able to be introduced to the two paramedics who helped her.
“It’s been incredible getting to meet her. It closes the chapter on a really difficult call," said Kaileen Brown, one of the paramedics that helped Lynda.
Many paramedics find themselves left wondering what happens to their patients after they are admitted to the hospital.
“It helped knowing that she has survived it, knowing who she was before,” added Brown.
According to MLPS, there are up to 40,000 cardiac arrests occur each year in Canada, which is one every 13 minutes.
Only five per cent of people who experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital survive.
This is the first survivors' day event that the MLPS has been able to host since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.