Select a region
A person trained in CPR saved John Greenfield's life when he suffered a "massive heart attack" after playing cricket at the Footes Lane Memorial Field.
John is now helping promote ‘Restart a Heart Week’, Guernsey’s take on ‘Restart a Heart Day’ which is celebrated every year on 16 October.
It gives groups like the Cardiac Action Group (CAG) an opportunity to promote bystander CPR in the hopes that it might one day save someone’s life.
“You can't make a cardiac arrest worse,” said CAG Community Resuscitation Officer, Mike Froome, "you can only make it better.”
“We need an ambulance to come to a cardiac arrest... we need to make that emergency call... but if you do nothing while you're waiting for the ambulance to come, that person's chances of survival are very, very poor.
“We need a bystander to be there and start pressing on the chest. If they think this person is unconscious, and they think they're not breathing properly and they do chest compressions, they'll double the chance of survival of that person from what they say is around about 10% to just over 20%.
“But if you can do CPR - good quality chest compressions - and then get a defibrillator on somebody's chest within three or four minutes, they might have an 80% chance of survival. That's what we want to happen."
John Greenfield was sitting in the pavilion at the Memorial Field after playing a game of cricket when he had what he calls a “massive heart attack”.
"I collapsed. I don't have any memory of it at all that day, to be honest,” he said.
“I was fortunate in lots of ways, but one particular starting point of my luck was that one of my teammates was a very experienced user of defibrillators and CPR generally... and there was also a defibrillator box in the pavilion.
“It took quite a long while for my heart to restart... if there hadn't been [a person with CPR experience] and a defibrillator box to hand I don't think I'd be talking to you today. I'm sure I wouldn't.
“I couldn't be more supportive of what everyone is trying to do.”
John has joined Mike Froome and others at CAG during Restart a Heart Week to help promote the importance of CPR training.
The week long event gives people in Guernsey an opportunity to undertake free training at various spots around the island, including; St Martins Community Centre, St Sampsons Douzaine, Capelles Church and Styx Community Centre.
You can book a free slot ONLINE or by calling 07781 129549.
A drop in demonstration is taking place today – 16 October – at Grow Ltd until 14:30.
Pictured top: (L-R) Mike from CAG and John.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.