A man who suffered a stroke at home while washing up has thanked the ambulance crews who made sure he reached his 70th birthday.
Brian Davies, who is celebrating his 70th birthday tomorrow, 17 May, was at home in Long Eaton on 8 January when he began to feel unwell and was struggling to speak properly.
Brian’s wife of 47 years, Jane, suspected that he was suffering a stroke and rang 999 for help.
Today Brian was reunited with Paramedic Adrian Jobling and Emergency Care Assistant Morgan Remzi, who came to his rescue, to thank them for saving his life.
The retired lorry driver said: “It has been fantastic meeting the crew and having the chance to say thank you.
"I was washing the pots but I didn’t feel right. I lay down on the sofa but I couldn’t settle, and I was dribbling.”
Jane said: “I realised he couldn’t speak more than three words, so something was going on.”
Paramedic Adrian, who is based at Raynesway Ambulance Station in Derby, was the first on scene and spoke to the stroke unit at Nottingham City Hospital.
He said: “Brian was sat on the sofa and it became apparent when chatting to him that he couldn’t get the right words out.
“With strokes, you have four hours to have a clot busting drug to reduce any permanent damage.
“I spoke to the stroke unit and they asked us to bring him in.”
Doctors told Brian he had suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or ‘mini stroke’ which is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain.
He was kept in hospital overnight, but he has completely recovered and is even driving again.
To celebrate his 70th birthday, Brian is going out for a meal, then going fishing for a week, and is hoping to go to Normandy later in the year.
As May is also Stroke Awareness Month, Brian wants to make sure other people are able to recognise the signs of a stroke so they can have the best chance of making a full recovery.
He said: “Ring the ambulance if you think you are having one. The quicker you contact them, the more time they have to work on you.”
If someone’s face has fallen on one side, if they cannot raise their arms and keep them there, and if their speech is slurred, call 999.