A Teignmouth man who had a heart attack in Greggs is backing a campaign to encourage more people to learn CPR.
Russell Mackuin, 54, collapsed unexpectedly in February last year while buying a sandwich at Greggs during a break from work.
‘It was a Friday, and I was super busy,’ recalled Russell, an IT project manager. ‘I had 20 minutes before my next meeting, so I thought I’d grab some lunch. As I was waiting to pay, I started to feel light-headed. I tried to shake it off, and that’s when I blacked out.’
Russell had suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the shop floor. Fortunately, the man standing behind him in the queue knew CPR and immediately began chest compressions, determinedly saying, “Not today, mate. I’m not letting you go.’
In another stroke of luck, an ambulance was nearby, allowing paramedics equipped with a defibrillator to arrive within minutes.
‘They brought me back after a couple of shocks,’ said Russell. ‘I remember lying on the floor and hearing people talking to me. I was confused and unsure where I was. I thought I’d fallen asleep at the office and that people were trying to wake me.’
The father-of-four was rushed to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, where doctors found that he’d had a heart attack and inserted three stents to restore blood flow to his heart. Medical staff revealed that his arteries had been almost completely blocked and that had been extremely lucky to survive.
The ordeal was a shock not only to Russell but also his partner, 46 year-old Ruth Patton. Since then, the couple have been able to thank the man who saved Russell’s life after Ruth tracked him down.
‘I spoke to the staff in the shop and explained that I wanted to reach out to the person who performed CPR,’ Ruth explained. ‘They knew he was a regular and passed on my number. Two days later, he called me. It was very emotional. He was very humble and said he did what anyone would have done.’
After being discharged from the hospital, Russell also had the chance to express his gratitude. ‘You don’t expect to meet the person who saved your life,’ he said. ‘I’m forever grateful that he had the confidence and courage to step in and keep me alive until the paramedics arrived.’
Russell and Ruth are sharing their story as part of a British Heart Foundation campaign to encourage people to learn CPR via an online tool called RevivR, which teaches CPR in just 15 minutes using a mobile device and a cushion. ‘It’s such a simple skill and doesn’t take long to learn but it could be the difference between someone living and dying,’ noted Russ.
Every year, more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the UK, but tragically, less than one in ten people survive. Early CPR and defibrillation can more than double survival rates.
Ruth reflected on how differently things could have turned out. ‘We’ve thought a lot about how this could have ended if it had happened somewhere else or at another time. If no one nearby had known what to do, I don’t think Russell would be here today.’