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A black cab driver who was brought back to life with a defibrillator has raised thousands of pounds to help install the live-saving devices in the deprived areas of London that need them most.
Paul White’s heart stopped for 20 minutes after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a martial arts class. Paramedics at Wimbledon Ambulance Station came to Paul’s rescue in minutes and restarted his heart using a defibrillator.
Following his recovery, Paul, 64, and his wife Paula, 68, have raised over £1,000 with their neighbours by taking on the London Ambulance Charity’s first ever fundraising walk – the London Life Hike.
The walk has raised £33,000 and counting for the charity’s new London Heart Starters campaign, which aims to improve survival rates for people who experience a cardiac arrest by purchasing additional defibrillators where they are most needed.
Paul said, “If it wasn’t for their help and the use of a defibrillator, it would have been a very different outcome. I’m really fortunate that I’m still alive and didn’t suffer brain damage”.
Paul, a black cab driver for 25 years, added: “Sadly, I won’t be able to drive a cab again but have retained the Knowledge that cabbies need, so I’ll always be a cab driver at heart”.
His wife Paula said, “Defibrillators and chest compression do work and he is living proof of it. If you perform CPR and use a defibrillator in time and do it correctly, people can still be here.
“I cannot thank the ambulance crews enough. They persevered, shocked him eight times and now I have my husband back”.
Dozens of ‘defibrillator deserts’
Recent analysis by the London Ambulance Service has revealed that dozens of neighbourhoods are ‘defibrillator deserts’ – where there is little or no access to a life-saving device.
The data has revealed large discrepancies between communities in outcomes for cardiac arrest and the availability of life-saving devices. Households in more deprived areas are more likely to be in an area in greater need of additional defibrillators.
Paul’s story is similar to that of Steve Morris, who collapsed while on a treadmill at his gym. Since recovering, Steve has helped save the lives of at least three people, having helped facilitate the purchase of 17 more defibs for the West Sussex town where he lives through fundraising.
Find out more about the London Heart Starters Campaign on the dedicated London Ambulance Charity website here.
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