Khalid Mahomed collapsed after helping a member of the public
(Image: East Midlands Ambulance Service)
A Leicester family have been reunited with the emergency crew who saved their father’s life, after his heart stopped whilst he was on his way to work.
Postman Khalid Mahomed left his home at 5am to travel to work last September. He collected mail from the depot and set off on his delivery round as normal when he came across a broken-down vehicle on the way.
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) said that the then 61-year-old collapsed after helping to move the vehicle. He suffered a heart attack, which led to a cardiac arrest, in the middle of a busy dual carriageway.
A member of the public called 999 as bystanders started CPR.
Daniel Hill, Bethany Robinson, Jessica Bingley, Mark Hill and Dr Matt Woods from the East Midlands Immediate Care Scheme arrived quickly at the scene.
Khalid said: “The last thing I remember is getting all the mail loaded into my van and driving out the gate. Next thing I know, I am in the hospital with everyone gathered around me, explaining what happened.
“It was a bit of a shock to learn what happened, considering that day I was feeling well and had no indication of what was going to happen.”
The EMAS crew used a defibrillator and were able to resuscitate Khalid after two attempts. He was then rushed to Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit before being placed on a ventilator and sedated until later that evening.
His family can clearly recall the moment they received the news - which they thought was a “hoax” at the time. His daughter, Humera, said: “My dad’s colleague, Ryan, quickly raised the alarm.
“He called my brother and alerted us that dad had an accident and a member of the public called 999. At first, we thought it was a hoax - we couldn’t believe what we were hearing. I called my dad’s mobile and his manager answered, confirming the news.”
Khalid’s road to recovery has been “difficult”, as he required an internal defibrillator to help his heart maintain rhythm and reduce the risk of future cardiac arrests. He said: “Recovery was difficult when all I wanted to do was to get back to normal and yet so many things had to change.
“I struggled with processing what had happened to me, but my family has been an incredible support. That day changed my life completely.”
He added: “Meeting the crew who helped me has been that missing piece of the puzzle and for me and my wife, this has been all we have wanted since the day my cardiac arrest happened.
“It is a day we have been looking forward to for many months. Without them, I would not be here today. I would still love to meet the members of the public who stepped in that day and have the chance to say thank you for what they did.
“I know their CPR also made the difference.”
EMAS student technician, Jessica Bingley, said it was “emotional” to meet with Khalid, as she can recall what happened to him “so well”. Jessica said: “It was an absolute privilege to be there and meet Khalid properly.
“This is why we do this job. For me, it was quite emotional seeing him because it is a job which I remember so well.
"The fact that Khalid has recovered so well and is here with us today is testament to the support of his family and hard work of both the bystanders who did CPR and the clinicians on scene that day.”
Khalid’s family added: “We cannot thank the ambulance crew enough. Their quick action and expertise saved dad’s life. CPR truly made the difference between life and death.”