The acknowledgement, which comes on International Paramedics Day (8 July), highlights a quintessential example of the vital role not just paramedics, but all emergency service clinicians play in helping their local communities.

Chris Edwards from Sale in Manchester had been lying in bed after waking up on the morning of 16 December 2018 when his heart stopped beating. Fortunately, his partner Helen rang 999 quickly, and after instructions from the call handler, Chris was pulled from the bed, and she began CPR as crews made their way to the scene.

Attending to Chris that day were Senior Paramedics Dan and Craig and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) Heather and Gary. They were able to shock him with a defibrillator and restart his heart. He was then taken to the hospital for further treatment and was diagnosed with an underlying heart condition. He was fitted with a heart device and has since fully recovered.

Last month, Chris and his family welcomed Heather, Craig, and Daniel to his house to thank them for their role in saving his life.

Chris says, “I’m lucky to be alive, and these people deserve a huge amount of recognition. It’s quite easy for some people to do a job and put it to bed when they go home, but it’s not an ordinary job that they do.

“It sounds cliché, but they’re heroes, and I’m eternally grateful for what they have done for me!”

Launched in 2022, International Paramedics Day is held on July 8th every year. This marks the anniversary of the birth of Dominique-Jean Larrey, the man often referred to as the ‘father of modern-day ambulance services’; this year’s theme is “the difference we make.”

Senior Paramedic Craig Scott says, “As paramedics and EMTs, we deal with a whole host of things, but ultimately, what we did that day is what everyone joins the service to do. And that is to create a good and positive outcome for the patient.”

Senior Paramedic Daniel Law added, “It’s very rare that we get to meet patients we’ve treated. We sometimes get informed through the service that they’ve been discharged from the hospital. But it’s rare to meet them face-to-face, so meeting him and seeing how well he is doing is really amazing.