Ambulance worker thanks patient and nurse who helped save his life

An ambulance worker saved by his patient and a nurse after he suffered a cardiac arrest has thanked them for giving him "another chance in life".

Shaun McBride was preparing to take 72-year-old Tommy Stewart from Glen O'Dee Hospital in Banchory to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary when he collapsed.

Mr Stewart - an amputee who uses a wheelchair - was strapped into the vehicle, but was able to call for help.

Nurse Freya Smith-Nicol then performed CPR until an ambulance arrived.

Those involved have now had an emotional reunion two months after the drama unfolded at the small community hospital in Aberdeenshire.

Freya Smith-Nicol and Tommy Stewart, middle, helped save Shaun McBride

Mr McBride, 56, a care assistant with the ambulance patient transport service, had just secured Mr Stewart into his vehicle when he collapsed.

"I heard a thump and I just saw the top of Shaun's head," Mr Stewart recalled.

"I said: 'He's collapsed'. But there was no way I could reach the horn because I was strapped in.

"So the next thing was: roar."

Mr Stewart's repeated cries were eventually heard by a hospital caterer who ran out to see what was going on.

'Unconscious on the ramp'

Nurse Freya Smith-Nicol was quickly alerted, and quickly realised there was "a lot of panic in the air".

"I knew immediately something was wrong," said the 28-year-old.

"I thought it was going to be one of our patients, because you put two and two together, and obviously didn't expect to see Shaun there.

"It was quite a big shock. He was unconscious on the ramp of the ambulance."

Mrs Smith-Nicol performed CPR on Mr McBride for 25 minutes, helped by other members of the team, until an ambulance arrived.

A defibrillator was used seven times as they fought to save him.

"The ambulance crew turned up just as we kind of got him back - so it was all timed quite well," she said.

The Glen O'Dee Hospital is run by Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership

When he got to hospital, Mr McBride was placed in an induced coma in intensive care.

The former firefighter pulled through and has now been fitted with a defibrillator. He hopes to return to work next month.

He still has no memory of what happened.

During the reunion with Mr Stewart and Mrs Smith-Nicol, Mr McBride said he would be forever grateful to them.

"If it wasn't for Tommy raising the alarm and the quick actions of Freya and the team - well I wouldn't be sitting here today," he said.

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He said to them: "Thank you for giving me another chance in life. My gratitude is there forever.

"Live for today, because you never know what tomorrow might bring."

Mrs Smith-Nicol said it had been a team effort.

"When we found out Shaun had come off the ventilator, was awake and was having a cup of tea with his wife, it was amazing to hear," she said.

"There was such a sense of relief. It was quite emotional."

She and Shaun later met by chance at a wedding, and shared a dance.

Freya and Shaun later bumped into each other at a wedding

Mr Stewart remains modest about his actions that day.

"I didn't think I did anything but shout," he said.

"Freya did the best bit and the rest of the nurses helped.

"He couldn't have picked a better place to collapse if he tried. It could have been worse, a lot worse."

Mr McBride, of Aberdeen's Bridge of Don area, said what happened has given him not only a second chance, but two new friends for life.

And the feeling is mutual, with Mr Stewart describing him as "a good buddy" who will now be on his Christmas card list.