Man reunited with woman who saved his life

Melissa Williams saved Peter Corr when he went into cardiac arrest during a morning run

A man who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest has been reunited with the woman who saved his life.

During an early morning run in September 2019, Peter Corr from Telford stumbled and fell to the ground.

After seeing him fall ill, Melissa Williams rushed to help and began providing life-saving CPR until ambulance crews arrived at the scene.

“I was able to give his wife her husband back, as well as the kids their dad back. He gets to watch his children grow up and one day walk his daughters down the aisle and that’s something I think about often,” said Ms Williams.

Four years on, the pair have thrown their support behind West Midlands Ambulance Service’s (WMAS) campaign to encourage the registration of automated external defibrillators (AED) on the British Heart Foundation’s circuit.

While Mr Corr cannot remember the incident, he uses his experience to advise others about the importance of immediate basic life support.

He added: “The intervention of Melissa providing basic life support is undoubtedly what saved my life, she really has given me life part two.

“It’s so incredibly important to register community AEDs on the circuit so West Midlands Ambulance Service can see where the nearest AED is to the cardiac arrest, it’s so simple to do and you never know whose life you might be saving.”

Currently there are at least 2,778 AEDs that are unregistered and not accessible by WMAS

Statistically, less than 8% of out of hospital cardiac arrest patients survive to the point of hospital discharge, WMAS said.

This is because for every minute where CPR and defibrillation is not commenced, chances of survival drop by 10%.

Paramedic practice and patient safety director Nick Henry said: “Having AEDs available to bystanders in a cardiac arrest situation saves lives. However, for us to be able to instruct the caller on how to gain access to these AEDs they must be registered.”

Currently there are at least 2,778 AEDs that are unregistered and not accessible by WMAS.