Feel good Friday
Relay driver, John Sparks, let natural instincts kick-in when he saved a customer’s life by performing CPR
John Sparks recently discovered the sooner someone starts CPR, and uses a defibrillator to shock the heart back into normal rhythm, the better.
He had only completed his first-ever first aid course when exactly a week later he was in the Wickford Post Office carrying out life-saving CPR.
‘I was a bit of a cynic with the first aid training. I thought to myself, I’m never going to need this,’ said John. ‘Little did I know I’d be doing CPR on a customer who wasn’t breathing and had turned a horrid blue.’
John said he and a staff member from the local pharmacy made the quick-thinking decision to act.
‘We decided to give him CPR between us. All of a sudden his eyes flickered, and he eventually came round.
‘We managed to keep this up until the police and paramedics arrived. He was out for around 50 minutes, all up. He also needed to be given the defibrillator three times,’ he said.
When the customer was whisked away in an ambulance, police conducted a welfare check with John and obtained his details before he carried on with the rest of his round.
He said: ‘The police called me the next day and said: “If it wasn’t for you, he’d be dead.” In all honesty, we just did what we needed to do.’
John was contacted by the man and his family 10 days after saving his life. He was incredibly appreciative that two people who knew how to react just happened to be present.
‘I tell everyone – knowing how to do CPR actually works. I was told during the first aid course that if you ever need to use it, don’t worry, you’ll naturally know what to do. The man I saved proved it does work,’ he said.
Anyone can learn lifesaving CPR and how to use a defibrillator in just 15 minutes as part of our partnership with British Heart Foundation using their RevivR App – learn more here.
Finally, if you would like to express interest in becoming a first aider, please speak to your manager in the first instance.
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