“Everything was on my side that day to allow me to survive.”

On 5 August 2023, Andy Wall, age 44, his wife Georgina and their two children, who were aged 8 and 5, were excited for the first game of the new football season. Andy felt fine that morning, before the family, who are season ticket holders and fans of Norwich City, made their way to the Carrow Road stadium. It was like any other home match.

However, at 15:50, just before the half-time whistle, Andy was celebrating Norwich's goal with his daughter before he slumped to the floor. He was in cardiac arrest.Georgina and their son were sitting a few seats away. Fellow supporters alerted her and she came to Andy's aid as he lay on the floor, and called out for urgent help from the matchday stewards and paramedics.

In the event of a cardiac arrest, it is crucial to start the chain of survival as soon as possible so the patient has the best possible chance of a positive outcome. The out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rate in the UK is only around 8%; however, if a defibrillator is used alongside effective CPR within the first 3-5 minutes, the chances of survival can increase to between 40% - 70%.

In Andy’s case, there were multiple medical teams and members of the emergency services already at the stadium, and they were able to identify that Andy was in cardiac arrest and that he needed immediate CPR and defibrillation.

“The stewards and paramedics quickly got me to the concourse and commenced CPR.” Andy says.

One of those on scene was EAAA Critical Care Paramedic (CCP), Dave Killingback, who was working with the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) that day. CCP Dave helped to treat Andy by delivering advanced life support. Chest compressions helped oxygen reach Andy’s brain and shocks delivered via a defibrillator could help to restart his heart. Every minute was crucial.

“I had breathing equipment, an adrenaline shot and two shocks from a defibrillator. It took between 10 and 15 minutes before my heart started beating again.” Andy says.

Andy’s family were understandably distressed and were looked after by the Norwich City Football Club Safeguarding team while medical teams continued to treat Andy. In the meantime, EAAA Anglia One Critical Care team were tasked by Rapid Response Vehicle to Carrow Road.

EAAA’s Dr Jim Flatt and CCP Chris Neil soon arrived. They began critical care interventions at the scene, which included sedating and intubating Andy; this involved inserting a breathing tube into Andy’s airway to support his ventilation. 

“Everyone was looking after me; it was a huge team effort, and I am so grateful to everybody.” Andy continues.

EAAA’s Dr Jim Flatt and CCP Chris Neil then accompanied Andy to hospital via land ambulance for further treatment.

“My immediate and extended family were told to prepare that I may not wake up and if I did then it was likely I may have suffered brain damage.”

Andy did wake up on Monday 7th August and it was a euphoric moment for the family when they received a call from the Intensive Care Unit advising that he had woken up and said his wife's name.

He spent 18 days in hospital, four of these in the Intensive Care Unit. He had tests, scans and an ICD device implanted; this is used to detect abnormal rhythms in the heart, and if needed, it can then send an electrical shock to correct it. He has since made a remarkable recovery and has worked hard on his rehabilitation, overcoming fatigue and re-building his confidence with the love and support of his family and friends.

Andy and his family were also supported by EAAA’s Aftercare team, who are on hand to offer emotional and practical support to patients and families of an incident EAAA attended.

“While it’s been an awful experience for our family, I received a really touching handwritten note from the Aftercare team. EAAA Aftercare Nurse, Emma, visited us at home and I always felt that I could call if I needed some support. Emma also arranged for us to visit the EAAA Norwich base at Helimed House so we could meet the crew – this helped our children immensely.”

As he reflects on this life-changing experience, Andy says: “I was really lucky to be where I was when I had the cardiac arrest. Everything was on my side that day to allow me to survive.”  

“It was tough and emotional to go back to our seats at Carrow Road, but the support and community spirit from the fans around us and the club was incredible. Now, whenever the stewards and paramedics walk past our seats near the front row, we embrace each other with a high five as a mark of respect for what they did for me and my family and what they do for others too. I will be forever grateful."

By sharing his story, Andy hopes that more people will be inspired to undertake CPR training, learn the location of their nearest defibrillator and how to use one.

“The defibrillator was crucial to saving my life. Always be aware of where they are located, and seek training in how to use them and how to perform CPR - as you never know when you may need it.”

If Andy’s story has inspired you to take action to learn life-saving skills, read more about EAAA’s free one-hour CPR and defibrillator training: First Aid Training | East Anglian Air Ambulance (eaaa.org.uk)