A woman who suffered a heart attack while on holiday in the Lake District has spoken out about her terrifying experience. Sarah Baines, a 61 year old nurse from Hyde, was visiting Backbarrow, Ulverston in October last year when she suddenly fell ill.
With the lift out of order, she began climbing the stairs to her apartment before becoming sick and collapsing with chest and back pain. Her brother William promptly dialled 999 and paramedics arrived at the scene within 10 minutes.
After conducting an Electrocardiogram (ECG), it was confirmed that Sarah was having a heart attack. Recounting the incident, Sarah said: “My brain just wasn’t accepting it. I kept asking how I could be having a heart attack. I am only 61; I work full time, and I go to the gym.
“I had been experiencing back and shoulder pain for two weeks prior but attributed it to a work injury and recent shoulder surgery. It was only when my top lip started twitching, and I got pins and needles in my jaw that I accepted that I had a heart attack.”
Sarah was immediately transported to Blackpool Victoria Hospital from the scene and received treatment. She had a stent fitted the same day and spent three days in hospital.
“The journey to the hospital was scary, but Rachel [the paramedic] explained everything to me and told me what would happen when we got there,” she said.
“I was quite agitated, and my pain was starting to creep up again, but Tim and Rachel were amazing; they kept reassuring me.
“My husband, who is registered blind, accompanied me on the ambulance, and they were so attentive to him as well, making sure he was ok and that he didn’t get lost in the hospital when we arrived.”
“Someone was definitely looking down on me that day as everything fell into place. From the time it took for the ambulance to get there and the fire brigade to arrive to carry me down the stairs to getting to the hospital and receiving treatment, it was all so fast.”
“I can’t thank Rachel and Tim enough for saving my life and for taking such good care of me. I have since seen my cardiologist, who has said I have slight damage to my heart, but because of the quality and speed of the care I received, it is a lot less damage than it could have been.”
After recovering at home for a period, Sarah recently got back to work and accomplished her first park run earlier this month. She’s now eagerly awaiting a holiday with her spouse later this year.
Just last week, Sarah and her family had the privilege of being invited to the Cumbria and Lancashire Headquarters of North West Ambulance Service in Broughton, where she personally thanked Emergency Medical Technician Tim and Paramedic Rachel.
She was also granted a sneak peek inside the 999 emergency control room found on-site.
Gene Quinn, NWAS Head of Operations for Cumbria and Lancashire, expressed his pride in the team’s work, adding: “We are incredibly proud of the care that our staff provide, but it’s always great to hear from our patients who are doing well after our involvement.
“But it’s not just down to our frontline line ambulance crews; our control staff play a significant role in ensuring that our patients receive the proper care, as do all the background support teams.”
