An Edinburgh mum has said she owes her life to the Scottish Ambulance Service after collapsing at the gym.
Vicky Tallentire, of Corstorphine, became unwell while on a treadmill at a city gym last November.
She was suffering from a rare disorder in which anaphylaxis occurs after physical activity.
An unresponsive Vicky was rushed to New Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by ambulance crew Mark Ferrier and Alex Vesco.
She said: “It was a Saturday morning and I was at the gym. I was on a treadmill when I started to feel really unwell.
"I went downstairs with my husband Mike, who was with me and I collapsed in quite a confined bathroom area of the gym, with what evolved into an episode of anaphylaxis."
At that point, Vicky says she started to lose consciousness "very quickly" and added: “My husband, an ICU consultant, thought I was going into [cardiac] arrest".
A medical consultant at Western General Hospital, Vicky has only ever been in an ambulance with patients, never as one herself.
“I know I owe my life to that crew - being at the front line is tough. I know, I live it. But just occasionally you do get to make a real difference to someone's life,” she said.
Vicky has since made a very full recovery and added: “I really can’t express how grateful I am to both of the crew involved, and also the amazing team at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
"From the bottom of my heart, I am so immensely grateful to everyone involved.”
