Grandad Reunites With London Ambulance Crews Who Saved His Life in Time for Christmas
By Community Correspondent
A grandad has thanked London Ambulance Service crews for saving his life, meaning he was able to celebrate this Christmas surrounded by his family.
Ken Neville and his wife Linda have visited Hillingdon Ambulance Station for an emotional reunion with the team who cared for him.
Ken told them: “I can’t thank you enough. I had never been ill before but now I have never felt better. I am so lucky.”
This summer, as the couple were getting ready for bed, Ken suddenly collapsed.
Linda dialled 999 and described how Ken seemed to be gasping for breath. This is known as agonal breathing and it happens when someone is in cardiac arrest.
An ambulance was dispatched immediately. Paramedics Stephanie Lewis and Samantha Henderson arrived at Ken and Linda’s home in just six minutes. Other paramedics raced to the scene.
Linda said: “They took total control straight away and suddenly our bedroom looked like an operating room.
“It was full of paramedics and medical equipment and they were working incredibly hard to save my husband’s life.”
From the London Ambulance Service headquarters in Waterloo, advanced paramedic Mike Strutt had been listening in to Linda’s 999 call and also made his way to their Pinner home.
He said: “Linda did a really good job of explaining what was happening and it was clear to me that Ken was critically ill.
“In those situations, having an advanced paramedic on scene can add extra clinical support during a complex resuscitation and give the patient the best chance.”
Linda added: “They worked so hard they were soaked in sweat. They never gave up on him. They were doing everything in their power to save Ken – it was a scene I will never forget.”
When Ken’s heart was beating again, he was taken to Harefield Hospital, where a team was already waiting.
Ken was fitted with three stents and the following days were critical.
Slowly, Ken began to recover.
Today, he is back at home, continuing his rehabilitation – and was very much able to enjoy a Christmas that was once uncertain.
Clinical Team Manager Sarah Angelou said: “We do get to hear outcomes for our cardiac patients and sadly survival rates are low – that’s why meeting Ken in person is so incredibly special.
“We train for these moments, but hearing that someone is home, recovering and able to enjoy Christmas with their family is exactly why we do this job. It’s such a gift to see the impact we have had.”
Paramedic Beesh said: “It’s a real team effort – from the call handler, to the first crew on scene, to everyone who comes with their crucial role to play.
“When you’re working on a patient, you are concentrating on what you need to do clinically and you can’t stop and think about a life in your hands. But to see Ken looking well and happy is the reward. It has been an amazing day.”
The family is now making plans for 2026.
Linda added: “The paramedics’ knowledge, compassion and determination gave us our family back. For us all to be together at Christmas means everything to us and we are looking forward to 2026. Ken is a husband, a dad and a grandad, and we are cherishing every moment.”
With most cardiac arrests happening at home, London Ambulance Service is encouraging everyone to learn simple life-saving skills through its London Lifesavers scheme.
