Cardiac arrest survivor and life-saving husband celebrate anniversary on Restart a Heart Day

Critical care physiotherapist Phil Howard’s quick-thinking actions saved his wife’s life when she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in the middle of the night at home.

Inspired by their extraordinary experience, the couple, of Ingleby Barwick, will be sharing their story and skills by helping with CPR training at Stokesley School on Restart a Heart Day (16 October), co-incidentally the 27^th anniversary of when they met.

By taking part in this Yorkshire Ambulance Service event, they hope to empower others with the skills that made all the difference in their own lives, underlining how immediate CPR can be crucial in an emergency.

Forty-eight-year-old Charlotte, who is a midwife at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, said: “I had been on a colleague’s leaving do and we’d had a lovely evening, I didn’t feel ill at all when I got home.

“My husband woke up in the middle of the night because I was making some strange breathing noises. I ended up having a bath and going to lie down in the spare room and when my husband came in, I had gone grey, and my pupils were fixed and dilated. He knew it was serious and instantly called 999, moved me onto the floor and started CPR.”

Her husband, who also works at James Cook University Hospital, performed CPR until the North East Ambulance Service crew arrived at the same time as neighbour and Community First Responder, who had been alerted via the GoodSam app. Charlotte received three shocks before her heart rhythm was restored and was taken to North Tees Hospital for ten days, later moving to James Cook University Hospital to have an implantable defibrillator fitted. She is currently undergoing tests for Long QT Syndrome, an electrical activity disorder.

Charlotte said: “The ambulance service was amazing. It feels so humbling to know that you make a 999 call and they do everything they can to make sure that family has the best chance of a normal life together.”

The mum-of-two’s background in teaching newborn life support at North Tees and James Cook hospitals has given her a deep appreciation for the value of CPR.

“I never thought it would happen to me, I was in the best shape I had ever been, both mentally and physically, and was running about 100km a month,” she explained. “What my husband did was incredible and shows the value of CPR, it really works and I am living proof of that. I feel so lucky, that life has a sparking golden tint, and that I am blessed to see my children and loved ones for longer. He is my life-saver and my hero.”

The couple are eager to share their knowledge on Restart a Heart Day, which will be just over 10 weeks after Charlotte had her cardiac arrest.

“We both have the day off so I thought we would come and help,” said Charlotte. “16 October is actually the anniversary of when we met so it seems quite appropriate that we spend it teaching others about the value of CPR. The personal benefits of being part of that are really special.”