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It was a normal Sunday afternoon when Peter Chew, from Lostwithiel, faced a life-threatening situation and suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.
On the 11th of August 2019 Peter had been to church, he came home and made lunch, and was washing the dishes in the kitchen, when he collapsed. Wife Jan heard a crash and found him slumped over the counter. She ran out to get help and called 999.
Jan’s neighbour started CPR, whilst another ran to get the town’s local defibrillator. Peter was given the first shock from the defib when Cornwall Air Ambulance arrived on scene, just 16 minutes after the emergency call was initially made, landing in the nearby school playing field.
The crew sedated and stabilised Peter, before taking him to the waiting helicopter on a stretcher. He was then airlifted to Derriford Hospital, making sure he could get the urgent onward care that he needed.
The next day Peter suffered a second cardiac arrest and was again resuscitated, before undergoing surgery to have a stent fitted. He was placed into an induced coma and spent 10 days in the intensive care unit. He was then transferred to a cardiac ward for two weeks, before spending 10 weeks undergoing rehabilitation at hospital in Liskeard.
Jan, Peter’s wife, said: “What would I have done without those people? I was in such a state seeing him like that. When they took him out on the stretcher, they came and got me to say goodbye to him, I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again.”
Peter now has very limited mobility, he uses a wheelchair and can manage to move slowly using a frame. Jan cares for him at their home, with adaptions made to the house, and now has the added help of carers several days a week. “Without the chaps at the air ambulance, Peter wouldn’t have survived”, she added. “You don’t think you’ll need the air ambulance, but you do, and when the time comes, we’re so lucky to have it there. It was that quick response that got Peter to where he is now.”
To mark her 70th birthday, Jan held a party and asked friends to donate to Cornwall Air Ambulance in place of gifts. Her event raised £200, which will be doubled to £400 as part of the 2023 Christmas campaign, and thanks to generous match funders.
Speaking about the charity and its work, Peter said: “I’m sure it’s the difference between life and death. Without the air ambulance, I wouldn’t be here now.”
If you would like to support our Christmas campaign this year, please visit www.cornwallairambulancetrust.org where all donations up until the the end of 2023 will be doubled, thanks the generosity of some supporters.