Miracle patient survives 10 minutes without a heartbeat

A Romford man survives a pulmonary embolism that caused a cardiac arrest and shares his recovery and a call for blood donation.

Miracle patient survives 10 minutes without a heartbeat

An early 40s Romford man collapsed from a cardiac arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism. He was clinically dead for about 10 minutes before medical teams revived him. Paramedics treated him for an irregular heartbeat and he was taken to Hammersmith Hospital, where doctors used defibrillation and CPR to save him, a procedure that caused internal bleeding.

After three days in a coma, scans showed large clots on the heart and lungs. Surgeons used a catheter to remove them and gave multiple blood transfusions. He woke with memory gaps and later gradually regained movement. Doctors warned he might be brain dead from the oxygen loss, but he recovered enough to speak and engage with his family. He is now about 75 percent back to normal and will need blood thinners for life. He learned the heart attack was a surprise because he was young and healthy, and doctors still do not know the exact cause. The hospital team and NHS Blood and Transplant say blood from a range of donors helped his care, and ethnically matched blood can improve outcomes.

The piece shows how quickly a life can hinge on a chain of care—from rapid 911 response to a hospital team able to manage complex clots and transfusions. It highlights the crucial, sometimes unseen role of blood donors and the ongoing need for diverse donor pools. The story also raises questions about why a young, healthy person can suffer a heart event and how doctors search for its cause while managing long term effects. It is a reminder that medical progress is made by both frontline staff and everyday generosity.

Highlights

Life and medicine hinge on quiet acts of care that echo long after the hospital doors close.