Susan's story
50 minutes without a heartbeat:
Susan's amazing survival
''In 2021, I suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at home. I had no symptoms, no history of heart problems—just a dull ache between my shoulder blades. Nothing I hadn’t felt before, as someone living with inflammatory arthritis and fibromyalgia, where daily pain is the norm.
I’d just returned from shopping with friends when I told my partner, Alistair, that I didn’t feel quite right. He urged me to call 111. I was reluctant. At 73, raised by parents from the pre-NHS era, you only sought medical help if it was truly life or death.
An ambulance was sent. While the paramedic was taking my history, I suddenly said, “I think I’m going to faint,” and collapsed. My heart stopped.
The paramedics pulled me onto the floor and began CPR. I was unresponsive. Another crew arrived. Still unresponsive. Then, the air ambulance was called. After nine shocks, my heart started again. I was placed in an induced coma and airlifted to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, where they fitted a stent.
I woke up three days later, thinking I had the flu. I had been clinically dead for 50 minutes. The scariest part was reading my admission notes: "Neurological prognosis uncertain due to length of arrest."
Miraculously, I’ve made a brilliant recovery. I now manage my heart health with medication, including statins, and am discussing a new treatment, icosapent ethyl, with my GP to lower my triglycerides.
It was my heart nurse who introduced me to HEART UK. Their website gave me clear, reliable information about my condition and options—and empowered me to make informed decisions about my care.
As a way of thanking HEART UK, I became a regular giver. It’s my way of giving something back and helping someone else like me''.