Gran whose heart stopped for 11 minutes reunited with paramedics who saved her life

ITV Central News correspondent Peter Bearne spoke to Frances Willamson about what it was like to be reunited with the person who saved her life

A Derbyshire grandma whose heart stopped beating in front of her family and friends just 11 minutes into the new year will be reunited with the emergency team who saved her life.

While families were celebrating entering the new year, Frances Willamson’s were left distraught as she collapsed in front of them at a party.

Her heart stopped beating just 11 minutes after Big Ben chimed on the TV and party goers were singing Auld Lang Syne.

Frances said: “I didn’t experience any warning signs of what was about to happen.

“I was having a lovely time at the party and didn’t experience any chest pain or any of the other symptoms which could have suggested something was about to go seriously wrong.”

Luckily for Frances, one of the people at the event happened to be off-duty Clinical Assessment Team (CAT) paramedic, Vicky Gough.

Vicky said: “I heard someone from the kitchen shout ‘Vicky, Fran’s collapsed!”

“I instantly switched back to clinician mode and started my assessments on Frances, while someone else called 999.

“She was initially breathing but was unconscious, so I put her into the recovery position. But then her body then began to shake, and she started to audibly gag.

“Soon afterwards, Frances stopped breathing and I couldn’t feel a pulse – she had gone into cardiac arrest.”

Vicky and Frances’s daughter-in-law, Kate, began CPR and Vicky also performed checks on Frances’s airway to ensure it was clear of any obstruction.

Despite efforts France's condition was worsening - life was slipping away and she needed an ambulance as soon as possible.Specialist Practitioner and Cardiac Arrest Lead, Kerri Lowe, who abandoned her meal break responded to a broadcast call in order to attend the scene.

Kerri, who arrived on scene within a matter of minutes, said: “I arrived with the defibrillator and thanks to the effective CPR being carried out by Vicky and Kate, we identified that Frances’s heart was in a shockable rhythm.

“We managed to get her heart beating again after delivering one shock and there’s no doubt that the immediate life support provided by Vicky and Kate led to such a positive outcome.”

Frances had what is known as an ‘utstien cardiac arrest’ – meaning the arrest was witnessed and immediate CPR, along with a VF shock from a defibrillator, were given to regain a heart rhythm.

Receiving CPR within the first three to four minutes of a cardiac arrest is crucial in terms of maximising the chances of survival.

Frances is now on the road to recovery and has lots of plans for her future.

Frances said: “I’m so grateful to everyone who worked together to save my life.

“I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the teamwork of Vicky and the ambulance crew. I’m especially amazed by the actions of my daughter-in-law Kate, who hadn’t performed CPR until that day.

“A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone which is why CPR education is so important.”