Thankful for selfless actions of kind strangers

A FEW weeks ago, I had an epileptic seizure in Ferensway, Hull.

It was a quiet Saturday morning. No pedestrians passed me by, only car drivers heading to the centre of town.

I was still having a seizure when two men, who happened to be first aiders, stopped their works vehicle and, without hesitation, instinctively went through their first aid training, cleared my congested airway, placed me into the recovery position and called 999.

An ambulance across the road was flagged down and, within minutes, I was in A&E.

I was lucky. The men’s swift and selfless actions saved my life.

Steve and Danny, who work for PBS in Hull, knew what to do and went straight into action, and I thank them for their kindness to a stranger and for their community spirit.

I have recovered now, but sometimes still imagine what I must have looked like on the pavement. A random person, laying flat out on a street. How often have we all witnessed such a scene and walked on or driven by? I have, many times, and automatically judged that drink or drugs were involved, regardless of the time of day.

We have become complacent at seeing such daily scenes and have become fearful of helping people, and in the end we do nothing at all.

Steve and Danny didn’t hesitate, didn’t judge me, and thank goodness.

But it has made me think twice. It’s time to change. I will no longer pass people by without considering what I can do to help. Sometimes it might be that I can’t, but there may be just that one time when I can and I will have done the right thing.

Let’s not leave anyone laying unaided in the street, regardless of their situation.

I would like to say thank you to all the paramedics, staff at A&E, the soctors, nurses and ancillary workers throughout the NHS who were there to help and support me, and maybe in the future, will be there for you, too.

I can’t thank Steve and Danny enough for what they did for me, but I would also like to thank their workplace PBS for providing essential first aid training to its employees. I know we are going through difficult times right now, but I hope other firms will also continue to offer courses to their staff because, as I have found out, simple techniques save lives.