In the early evening of 9 November 2023, while his seven-year-old granddaughter Summer was eating her dinner after going swimming, 67-year-old Chris Handley would usually have said his goodbyes to her and his daughter April before heading home.
On this occasion, he decided to stay a little longer. This seemingly random decision ultimately saved Chris’s life.
Chris said: “If I’d have left my daughter’s house when I usually leave, and I’d have been at home alone, I wouldn’t be alive today for sure.
“Going into cardiac arrest is like someone flicking off a light switch.
“I didn’t feel a thing.
“My last memory was talking to Summer on the sofa, mentioning to her how good I thought her dinner looked.
“I then woke up eight days later in intensive care.”
Someone who does remember everything so vividly is his daughter April.
She said: “I was in the kitchen when I heard Summer say, ‘stop pretending to be asleep granddad!’
“When I came in to see what was happening, my dad was snoring, gargling and went pale in colour.
“Then there was no breathing and no pulse.”
April knew in that moment that Chris needed emergency help and fast, so dialled 999.
The call was answered by Emergency Medical Advisor Julie Hill. Based on the information April was able to provide to Julie, it was identified that Chris was in cardiac arrest.
April continued: “I got him on the floor and started to do chest compressions.
“Being an ex-police officer I had regular training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), along with other life-saving skills.
“Despite having the instinct of knowing what to do in this situation, it was completely different this time because it was my dad in trouble.
“It was really upsetting for Summer when she realised that granddad wasn’t being silly.
“She started screaming and crying asking if granddad was dead.
“I had to try and comfort her and take her mind off what was happening by getting her to check the door was unlocked for the crew.
“The call taker was so kind, calming and reassuring. She made me feel like I wasn’t alone in the situation.”
Paramedic Ben King and Emergency Care Assistant Elliot Cross arrived on scene just six minutes after the 999 call to take over CPR from April, followed by Paramedic Tamsin Ryan, and Critical Care Paramedic Sam Cooper from The Air Ambulance Service.
Ben said: “April did amazing CPR which resulted in Chris’s heart being in a shockable rhythm when we got to the scene.
“After five shocks from the defibrillator we managed to get Chris’s heart beating again.”
Chris was then taken out of the house by the crew and transported via ambulance to Queen’s Medical Centre Hospital in Nottingham.
Following his three weeks in hospital, Chris had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted, accompanied by six weeks of rehabilitation sessions.
Five months on and Chris says things are “back to normal” and he has gone back to swimming three times a week, exploring the great outdoors and spending quality time with his family.
• Rough sleepers ‘bludgeoned’ couple with crutches in Nottingham city centre
