Off-duty nurses search for Suffolk man whose life they saved at Stafford South Services
A mother and daughter who saved the life of a Suffolk man who collapsed at a service station, but did not manage to get his name, are trying to reunite with him.
Jenny and Clare Hey, work as nurses in Lancashire and had stopped for breakfast at Stafford South Services on the morning of August 6 as they made their way down the country for a family holiday in Cornwall.
As the pair left the services they noticed a crowd gathering by parked cars and saw a man was unresponsive on the floor.
Mum Jenny said they immediately 'jumped into work-mode' and, as they called for someone to bring out the defibrillator, began CPR.
"Because we are both A&E nurses we both knew what to do. I think its because it's drummed into us it does just feel like 'action stations,'" she explained.
Jenny, who works at Burnley Urgent Treatment Centre, and Clare, who is a nurse at Blackburn Accident and Emergency Department, administered six life-saving shocks to the man and he was able to regain a pulse and conciousness.
An ambulance arrived and Clare even helped to insert an access into the man's arm when two previous attempts failed.
By the time he was taken to hospital, the man was concious and talking.
Of their involvement on the day, Jenny said: "I do believe in fate with that kind of thing, like people being in the right place at the right time."
The man, whose identity is not known to the pair, was rushed to Stoke Hospital to get specialist cardiac treatment where he had a stent fitted.
Jenny said the man's wife phoned Clare, as she had written down her mobile number and left in his pocket before he was taken to hospital, and thanked them.
She said he had been working in Scotland and was on his way home to Suffolk when the episode took place. She also told the pair he was recovering well and had been sitting up and talking just a few hours after his operation.
Jenny said: "It felt absolutely fantastic to hear that. It does make you feel so good and really really pleased for the gentleman.
"It just goes to show that defibrillators in the community are worth their weight in gold."
Following their life-saving actions, Jenny and Clare were invited to an ambulance awards ceremony which will take place on September 15.
They now hope to locate the man whose life they saved and reunite to celebrate the feat. Anyone with information should email kaia.nicholl@iliffepublishing.co.uk.
