A 26-year-old man who survived a cardiac arrest just days before his daughter was born is urging people to back the NHS in any way possible.
Sam King from Southampton experienced a heart stoppage in April, shortly before his wife Emma was expecting their first child. The pregnant woman contacted emergency services and carried out chest compressions following guidance from the 999 operator.
King expressed his pride in his auntie’s decision to fundraise for the London Ambulance Charity, stating he hoped to join the event once his health improved. He emphasised how vital the NHS is, noting that no one can predict when they or their family might require its services.
Just four days after the incident, Emma gave birth to their daughter Sophie. While King had regained consciousness by then, he showed no immediate signs of awareness.
The moment he encountered his newborn daughter marked the first clear indication of his progress toward recovery.
King commented on the remarkable nature of the NHS saving both his life and helping deliver his child within the same week. He reflected that without the service, his wife would be widowed, his daughter fatherless, and his family would have lost a son and sibling.
King has since made a complete recovery and now carries an implantable cardioverter defibrillator to regulate potentially dangerous heart rhythms.
His aunt Helen will join the London Ambulance Charity’s London Life Hike on September 26 to collect donations for additional defibrillators and community training schemes.
Helen said the family felt immense gratitude for his remarkable recovery, with the most significant outcome being his ability to fulfill his roles as Sophie’s father and Emma’s husband. She described these family moments as invaluable, adding that their time in London during King’s treatment at St Thomas’ Hospital had opened their eyes to how essential such equipment is within communities.