My girlfriend saved my life as I lay dying in bed
FC UNITED SKIPPER SUFFERED SUDDEN
If I hadn’t received the CPR I would have died or would be brain dead Adam Dodd on his girlfriend’s life-saving actions
HEART ATTACK
A FOOTBALLER has told how his girlfriend saved his life when he had a sudden heart attack in bed.
Adam Dodd and his club, FC United of Manchester, shared his story to raise awareness of the importance of CPR. Adam, 29, said he went to bed on June 3 but his girlfriend woke suddenly a couple of hours later ‘to the sounds of me in cardiac arrest.’
“My heart had stopped and I was dying,” said the semi-professional footballer, a plumber by trade. “Luckily, she heard my gasping and called 999 and performed CPR until the ambulance arrived 16 minutes later. “If I hadn’t received this CPR I would have died or would be brain dead. The chances of surviving an out of hospital cardiac arrest are 3 per cent. “When the ambulance arrived, they shocked me with a defibrillator and it took a few attempts to get my pulse back.
“I was taken to Blackpool Hospital and put on the intensive care ward in an induced coma where I remained for four days.
“They were worried about brain damage and didn’t know if I would wake up. I have no memory of any of this, but I can imagine how traumatic this would have been for my loved ones, not knowing if I would wake up and if I did, if I would have had severe brain damage.” Left-back Adam, known as ‘Doddy,’ has been a stalwart of the FC United starting line-up since he joined in 2019, the club said.
He was in hospital recovering while the team prepared to compete for the
Fenix Trophy Final in Rimini, Italy.
Adam added: “Because of the highquality CPR I received and the amazing care from the NHS, I am making a good recovery and I am waiting for a defibrillator to be fitted.
“I am extremely lucky to be alive and I want to raise awareness about the importance of being CPR trained.
“I am not going to be able to work, play football or drive for a while and the recovery process will take time, but I am just grateful to be alive.”
FC United manager Neil Reynolds said Adam, the new club captain, would be fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which detects any life-threatening, rapid heartbeat and if it occurs, sends an electrical shock to the heart.
It’s the same device that allowed Danish international Christian Eriksen to resume his career in the Premier League after suffering a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020.
Neil said: “Following that surgery though, Adam is looking at months without any income as a self-employed tradesman.
“A crowdfunder has been set up to support him to ensure that his hardship is minimised.”