My health heroes at Dunham Massey
When a day out to Dunham Massey took a dramatic turn…
- Health hero nominated by Jill Platt
I’d like to nominate the first aider team at Dunham Massey (National Trust), and visitors who were also first aiders, as well as an off duty doctor who all helped my mum.
Last February we were in the cafe at Dunham Massey park having enjoyed a walk in unseasonal sunshine.
We’d just finished our lunch when my mum said she didn’t feel well, she quickly turned pale and passed out. I ran for help as I suspected she was having a stroke.
She was stone cold and unresponsive. Her lips had turned blue.
Despite having had first aid training I panicked and didn’t know what to do other than ask someone to call 999. Someone else in the cafe came to me and told me they were a first aider she started to help me, then an off duty doctor came to help, taking my mum's pulse and speaking to the 999 team.
Quickly the first aid team were on hand too. They helped get her to the floor and together they worked as a team to assess the situation which looked very grave.
When the paramedics arrived my mum suddenly came round — I think everyone was shocked!
She was taken to hospital and it turned out a combination of very high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat was probably to blame.
She’s 83 this year!
I don’t know any of their names unfortunately but there were so many people who helped that day and in my eyes they were all health heroes — the person who took my panicked message in the cafe and acted on it without hesitation to call 999, the lady who looked after my toddler and kept her distracted from the distressing situation, the doctor who was off duty who helped calmly and quietly, the first first aider on the scene who was just enjoying a day out, the team of first aiders from the National Trust, the paramedics and whoever it was who cleared the cafe while it was all happening.
Find out more about Dunham Massey