A woman has been reunited with the Edinburgh paramedic who saved her life after she collapsed at the Botanic Gardens last year.
Jeanne Reilly, of Berkshire, recently returned to Edinburgh with family and friends to attend the unveiling of a new defibrillator installed at the same location where she suffered a cardiac arrest on July 30, 2021.
Visiting the gardens at the time with her friend, Jane, Jeanne had collapsed suddenly, with a retired GP and off duty doctor performing CPR at the scene.
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Also using a nearby defibrillator, paramedics then raced to the scene just two minutes after the call was made to 999, where Jeanne was "kept alive" and taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Reuniting with ambulance worker Ian Harwood who had helped in saving her life, Jeanne said: “I was very pleased to see the newly installed defibrillator at the Terrace Café and it was a privilege to meet ambulance crew member Ian in person.
“We have all since spoken so fondly of the opportunity to meet together. Shiona Mackie, the retired GP, met us all again shortly after and gave us a tour of the Botanics in her capacity as a volunteer tour guide - that was special too.
“I was thrilled that Ian had driven so quickly from the Botanics to the Hospital. Putting names to faces and filling in some gaps in my experience has given me a sense of peace.”
Speaking of the cardiac arrest, she said she was given CPR and a defibrillator was used prior to the crew arriving. She added: “They arrived very quickly and then took me to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, giving me another shock in the ambulance.
"I spent 12 days in hospital, have a stent and ICD fitted and I am on the mend to lead a normal life again. I owe my life to all involved. I have been able to thank others personally, and my family and myself send thanks and more to the crew.”
Knowing how the CPR skills of others saved her life last year, Jeanne also urged others to learn the skills in honour of this year’s Restart a Heart Day on Sunday, adding:
“Had it not been for the quick thinking of everyone, I would not be back to enjoying life. The expertise of the ambulance paramedics kept me alive while I made the journey to the Edinburgh Infirmary. The medical team in ICU took over from there.
“I hope that more people are educated about where to find a defibrillator and how to use one, so that the percentage of those who survive a cardiac arrest out of hospital can increase.”
To find out more about CPR, visit the Save a Life for Scotland website at www.savealife.scot
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