Lancashire woman meets first responder who saved her life

Diane Fenton, 60, has thanked the emergency workers who saved her life

A woman whose heart stopped has been reunited with the community first responder who saved her life.

Diane Fenton, 60, collapsed after going into cardiac arrest at her home in Leyland, Lancashire in January.

After her husband called 999 Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service community first responder, Andy Dow, arrived at the scene within minutes.

The great-grandmother said it was not for his swift response "the outcome could have been a lot different".

The Lancashire service is running a trial involving non-operational staff volunteering as community first responders, supporting North West Ambulance Service.

Mr Dow, who is a trained St John's Ambulance crew member, was working in his role as a community fire safety officer at Leyland Fire station when the alert about Mrs Fenton's collapse came through.

Mrs Fenton's husband Stephen, 58, had started chest compressions with Mr Dow arriving at the scene within four minutes of the 999 call. He was able to administer first aid and use a defibrillator before the ambulance arrived about five minutes later.

"I was doing some admin, sat in the office when the app went off for the ambulance service," he explained.

"It said that there was a female, collapsed, unresponsive at a home address, which was just up the road, literally from the fire station. So probably a minute and 10 seconds it was to the home address."

When paramedics arrived they continued to provide advanced life support to Mrs Fenton.

'Minutes matter'

She was treated by Gregory Hasting, Harry Hopkins, Katrina Haygarth and senior paramedic Andrew Graham before she was taken to Royal Preston Hospital to be stabilised and then to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for heart surgery.

Two weeks after her cardiac arrest Mrs Fenton, who is a mother to six, grandmother to 10 and great-grandmother to one, was back home with her husband and has returned to her job as a support worker.

She has since been to visit Mr Dow at Leyland Fire Station to thank him.

"Andy has been absolutely fantastic. He's come to my house two or three times since it happened and asked how I am," Mrs Fenton said.

"How can you say thank you to someone who's saved your life? This for me, to come to Leyland Fire Station and say thank you to all of them, it means a lot," she said.

"If it wasn't for Andy and the paramedics, the outcome could have been a lot different."

Mr Dow said early access to CPR and a defibrillator "can make that all important difference and ultimately save lives".

"Minutes really do matter in these scenarios," he added.

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