"Thanks to her I can see my family and grandchildren again"
An Ilkley man has said he wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the quick actions of a Skipton café worker
Last updated 15th Oct 2021
An Ilkley man has said he wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the quick actions of a Skipton café worker.
Keith Procter was saved by Skipton student Martha Hogg after she performed CPR, a technique she had learned at Skipton Girls’ High School on Restart a Heart Day in 2015.
Keith, who was 72 at the time, and his partner, Kathy, were visiting Caffe Nero in Skipton when he suddenly collapsed in cardiac arrest.
Martha, who was working in the café during a break from studying at university, rushed over to offer help. She spent ten minutes providing chest compressions until paramedics arrived.
They say her intervention is what kept Keith alive until they arrived.
Keith, who has made a full recovery, said: "It's quite scary to do but Martha was so calm and it is so hard to do it for ten minutes. It's not an easy thing to do but with Martha I was just so lucky.
"When Kathy said what had happened to me and how they'd saved me and how much effort they'd put in to give me CPR, it was just an amazing feeling to know that I could see my family and my grandchildren again because of them.
"The first time we met after it happened we went for coffee in Skipton and the feeling from both of us was just amazing.
"To be here today to talk about it, share my story and to talk about Restart a Heart Day is amazing."
The following year Keith joined Martha at her old school, Skipton Girls' High School for their Restart a Heart Day.
The initiative has been running since 2014 and since then 651 students have held the sessions with over 150,000 children learning how to give CPR.
Keith, his partner Kathy, and Martha made this promotional video with Yorkshire Ambulance Service for Restart a Heart Day
Yorkshire Ambulance Service are providing training sessions at football grounds across the county to promote the importance of CPR following Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 tournament.
Swift action was crucial to Eriksen’s survival when the 29-year-old midfielder collapsed during Denmark’s opening game against Finland on 12 June. He was brought back to life with a combination of CPR - cardiopulmonary resuscitation that involves chest compressions - and an electric shock from a defibrillator.
Jason Carlyon, Community Engagement Manager with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “The quick reaction of witnesses undoubtedly saved Christian Erikson’s life, as was the case with Fabrice Muamba, Glenn Hoddle and David Ginola who are also cardiac arrest survivors.
“But not everyone is as fortunate. In the UK, only 10% of people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside hospital survive, partly because they don’t receive early CPR and defibrillation.
“With only one in three people in England performing CPR when they witness a cardiac arrest, it’s important that we give people the confidence and skills to save someone’s life in this medical emergency."
A session is being held at Harrogate Town on 19 October.
Currently in the UK, less than one (8.6%) in ten people survive a cardiac arrest. If we achieved the same survival rates of countries like Norway (25%), where CPR is taught in schools, an additional 100 lives could be saved each week - the equivalent of approximately 5,000 every year.
Restart a Heart Day is again being organised in conjunction with the Resuscitation Council (UK), the British Heart Foundation, which provides training equipment to eligible schools free of charge as part of its Nation of Lifesavers campaign, and St John Ambulance.