Hayden was in bed ‘snoring’ but mum Stacey said ‘it was terrifying’
A mum who was about to leave for work paused at the front door when she felt something was wrong – and checked on her teenage son. Stacey called out to son Hayden and got no reply, so went to check on him, only to find the 18-year-old in his bedroom ‘snoring’.
But Stacey, from Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, knew something wasn’t right and called 999. P aramedics raced to the house, where they found that Hayden was in agonal breathing, a critical sign of cardiac arrest characterised by abnormal, gasping breaths caused by a severe lack of oxygen to the brain.
“I just knew something wasn’t right,” Stacey said. “At first, I thought he was asleep but the sounds he was making didn’t seem normal. It was terrifying.” Several ambulances were dispatched and paramedics began chest compressions.
They delivered five defibrillator shocks before the teenager’s heart was successfully restarted. One paramedic also administered an anaesthetic bundle to support Hayden’s recovery and help protect his brain. Hayden was taken to the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate on January 22 this year where he spent three weeks recovering before being discharged.
Following extensive testing, doctors discovered Hayden has a congenital heart condition – something which has led to his family undergoing screening. Three months later, the teenager and his family visited Thanet Make Ready Centre to meet the team involved in his care.
Now recovering well, Hayden has returned to everyday life and remains a keen gym-goer. ”It’s strange not remembering anything, but I know how serious it was and how lucky I am,” he said. “Meeting the people who saved my life was amazing and I can’t thank them enough.”
Paramedic Lauren added: “Jobs like this stay with you and you always wonder what the outcome was, so to meet Hayden and see him doing so well was really special. It’s a reminder of how important early intervention and teamwork are in situations like this.”
Stacey and Hayden’s sister, Sydney, have since completed CPR training to ensure they are prepared to respond in an emergency. Every week in the UK, about 12 people under the age of 35 die following sudden cardiac arrest.
