On Wednesday 6th June 2012 my 17 year old nephew Emmerson Hird survived a cardiac arrest.
Emmerson had been playing upstairs on his X-box with his girlfriend Micha. As he went to get up he fell down onto her. At first she thought he was messing about but quickly realised something was wrong and shouted for Emmerson’s brother. Emmerson had now stopped breathing and when his brother phoned for an ambulance he was told to make sure that Emmerson was on the floor and carry out CPR.
Whilst performing CPR he shouted for help. Three neighbours heard him shouting, “He’s dead” and ran inside to help. One checked his pulse whilst another continued CPR until the 
rapid response arrived.
Micha and Emmerson’s brother were in total shock.
Two police cars and an ambulance arrived at the house. Emmerson’s mum Lesley who had been on her way to a hospital appointment quickly returned home in bits whilst his dad came running in.
At 1:50pm Lesley called me, Emmerson’s auntie Linda, in hysterics. At first I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but when I did, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. When I arrived at the house Emmerson’s dad and brother were outside crying and his mum, girlfriend, neighbour and police were inside the house. They had been working on Emmerson for almost an hour. They managed to get him breathing then rushed him to Sunderland Royal Hospital, working on him all the way there.
He was taken straight to the intensive cardiac care unit where they put him in an induced coma and packed him in ice to bring his temperature down. Two days later they started to warm him back up and wake him up. We were then told that he had gone into his own coma. He was moved into the cardiac care unit where he stayed for around two weeks. He was then moved to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where he had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted.
Emmerson came out of the coma about three weeks later. When he came round he was swearing and couldn’t stand being touched or having anything on him. We were told this was due to his sensory glands and he was moved later moved to the neuro ward.
He has 20% vision, memory loss and has been diagnosed with long QT syndrome. He is having physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. He has now been in hospital for 5 months and he is currently at Walkergate Park in Newcastle where he is getting the best treatment and help possible and is doing well.
We have been told his recovery period will be around two years. Everyone has been through the mill but we thank God that he didn’t take Emmerson from us.
