The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
PAul returns to Posh After surviving cArdiAc Arrest
Peterborough United supporter says thank you to paramedics who saved his life
Football, to paraphrase former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, was nearly a matter of life or death for Paul Starr. Not so much the sport itself, but it was during half-time of October’s much anticipated derby match between Peterborough United and Northampton Town that the teacher fromWellingborough sufferedwhatcouldhavebeen a fatal cardiac arrest if not for the quick thinking of an offduty doctor and paramedics.
Fortunately, Paul (56) has madeastrongrecoveryandon Saturday wasable to return to thegroundforthefirsttimeto meet up with the paramedics who saved his life, before sitting in the directors’ box with daughter Emily to watch Posh thrash Chesterfield 5-2.
“I value life big time now in every sense,” said Paul, who is also a cricket umpire. Reflecting on the evening of his collapse, he added: “I felt totally fine. The only thing I rememberis going to get acupoftea.”
Paul, who was born i n Spalding, has been watching Posh play since 1971. He now plans to raise money for charity Magpas Helimedix whose paramedicsjoinedthosefrom the East of England Ambulance Service to save his life.
While the events of that Tuesday evening are hazy to Paul, the horror of seeing her dad carried out on a stretcher remainsfreshinEmily’smind.
“It wasthesickestfeelingin my stomach, the most shocking thing,” she said.
“You see it on Casualty and you’re like it will neverhappen to you in real life.”
Emily (23) has been watch- ing Posh with her dad for the last 20 years. And it quickly became apparent that something was wrong when Paul did not return to his seat in the N&P South Family Stand after half-time.
Emily said: “I rang himlike 22 times and he did not answer his phone. I checked all the foodplaces andtoilets and he was not there.”
At the front of the stand where Emily was sat, she saw someone receiving CPR and very quickly began to put two and two together.
She said: “I went to the front stand and to the steward and said, ‘I’m pretty sure the man who has collapsed is mydad’. I told himwhathewas wearing and I knew from the look on his face it was dad.”
Emily remains indebted to the people whomadesureher dad survived. “There are not the words really to describe how thankful and grateful we are,” she added.