Grant, who is a fitness instructor at the Training Station 2 in Liverpool was preparing for a marathon when he suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) while jogging with a group of his friends.
(Above: We visited Grant at Training Station 2 with their new defibrillator)
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is a medical condition that occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. This happens due to an electrical malfunction in the heart that disrupts its normal rhythm, leading to a loss of blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. Without prompt medical intervention such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, SCA is fatal within minutes.
Running and fitness friend Olivia, who was part of the 12-mile jog on Smithdown Road when her mother, who was running beside Grant, screamed her name. Olivia then saw Grant lying on the floor and noticed his breathing had turned strange. This is a term known as agonal breathing.
(Above: Checking for breathing is part of CPR & AED training)
Agonal breathing is used to describe irregular, gasping, or laboured breathing patterns that occur in someone experiencing a medical emergency, such as SCA. It is often seen as a sign that the person's brainstem is trying to regulate breathing despite a lack of oxygen. Agonal breathing is mistaken for normal breathing, but it is typically ineffective in maintaining adequate oxygen levels. It's important to recognise agonal breathing as a potential sign of a life-threatening situation and to seek immediate medical help.
His fellow runners had put him in the recovery position, when incredibly a passing cyclist stopped and told them she was a doctor. Together they performed CPR on Grant while Olivia’s sister Laura looked around the area for publicly accessible defibrillators. One was found at a nearby Tesco while another male doctor who was passing by stopped to help.
After the defibrillator was used to shock the heart back to its normal rhythm, Grant was taken to Liverpool’s Broadgreen Hospital, which specialises in heart conditions.
(Above: Grant on his return to his gym classes following SCA)
After his SCA, Grant had to postpone plans to run in the Manchester marathon but has since made a full recovery and has been reunited with his running group and the doctors that all played a huge part in saving his life. Grant now aims to raise awareness on the importance of CPR and defibrillators and wants to fundraise to install more defibrillators in and around his community along with setting up defibrillator training days.
We will continue to support Grant going forwards with all his defibrillator supplies and knowledge needs.
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