Survivor David backs ‘Restart a Heart’ campaign

David Ince, 67, from Haverhill spoke out as organisations across Cambridgeshire come together to teach skills to the public as part of a campaign called ‘Restart a Heart’ that starts tomorrow (Wed 9 Oct) and runs throughout this month.

David – a season ticket holder for 50 years – suffered a cardiac arrest during a game between Cambridge United and Rotherham United last Tuesday (1 Oct) watched by 5,085 people.

Play was stopped while quick-thinking match steward and Addenbrooke’s hospital porter, Paul Harrison, administered CPR, quickly followed by treatment from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) and the East of England Ambulance Service.

David was whisked by land ambulance to Addenbrooke’s where he is undergoing care combined with specialist treatment at neighbouring Royal Papworth. He was delighted to get the chance to thank porter Paul in person, and touched by a visit from United’s first team chaplain, Stuart Wood.

It was the second time David has received CPR, since seven years ago he had a heart attack at Haverhill Football Club, resulting in another air EAAA crew being scrambled and landing on the pitch. The match was cancelled and he was flown into A&E.

David, a semi-retired sales assistant, said: “I owe my life to CPR and those incredible people who are trained to deliver it in such a fast, calm, and professional way. I think the Restart a Heart campaign is an amazing initiative and greatly increases the chances of survival.”

David – who has since learned CPR himself – is lucky. More than 30,000 people have a cardiac arrest each year, with less than 10 per cent surviving.

Josh Lawrence, EAAA Community CPR Training Manager, says: “David’s story demonstrates how vital early CPR and defibrillator use is in the event of a cardiac arrest. Many lives can be saved each year by the combination of early bystander CPR and defibrillation, advanced critical care at the scene (delivered by EAAA) followed by a rapid transfer to hospital.  East Anglian Air Ambulance offers free one-hour training to equip more people in the community with the skills to start the chain of survival as soon as possible to improve patient outcomes.”

Josh continues, “We are pleased to be working with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Magpas Air Ambulance, the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST), Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to run sessions in the coming weeks as part of  the Restart a Heart initiative.”