Like Eriksen, I so cherish the extra time I was given

IN just under three weeks, I will be 13 years into extra time.

While covering the war in Afghanistan in July 2008, I suffered a cardiac arrest after collapsing with acute heat stroke while out on a military patrol in temperatures of 53C.

My heart stopped for four minutes and it is only thanks to the incredible British soldiers who manually administered CPR until my heart started beating again, that I am alive today.

Last Saturday, as the horrific scenes unfolded on the pitch in Copenhagen after Danish striker Christian Eriksen, pictured, collapsed having suffered what we know was a cardiac arrest, that day came flooding back.

Eriksen was fortunate to have a top medical team on hand to treat him and, crucially, a defibrillator.

If you go into cardiac arrest without one, your chance of survival is only 7 per cent. If a defibrillator is administered within three minutes, it’s 70 per cent.

Yet right now in Scotland, there is no requirement for defibrillators to be registered with the ambulance service, allowing 999 call handlers to identify the nearest device and direct bystanders to it.

fortunately, a Members’ Bill proposed by Labour leader Anas Sarwar is slowly making its way through the Scottish parliament which will change that. The sooner the better, I say.

As Eriksen’s experience shows, a cardiac arrest can happen to anyone.

Meanwhile, as one of the lucky 7 per cent, I wish Eriksen, who has been fitted with a heartstarting device, a speedy recovery and many years of extra time.