On 18th April 2016 without warning, my 48-year old dad Dom's heart stopped beating and he dropped down dead on the pavement in town after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. My dad was a very fit, active man, who didn't smoke or drink, and lived a healthy lifestyle. He exercised 3 times a week and ironically had been in the health and fitness business helping others, for nearly 25 years! He was the last person that we would have thought would have a sudden cardiac arrest!

Unbelievably, within a minute of him dropping down dead, a passer-by saw what happened and started CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) immediately in an attempt to save my dad's life. The passer-by, police officers and paramedics subsequently spent 20 minutes performing CPR, and he had to be shocked 3 times by a defibrillator until finally his heart started beating again.

My dad was rushed unconscious to Morriston Hospital Intensive Care Unit, where tests were conducted to find out what had happened to him and why. I was there and I asked the doctor what were the chances of my dad passing away. He told me and the rest of my family that my dad had a 2% chance of making it through the night, and to prepare ourselves for the worst!

I live with my dad and we are very close. I was totally devastated at the thought of losing him when my sister and I are so young. You never think that it will happen to you or your family.

Amazingly, and thanks to the outstanding treatment and care from the doctors and nurses, my dad made it!

He spent 2 weeks in the Coronary Care Unit and had an operation to put a defibrillator (ICD) in his chest. This monitors his heart constantly, and will shock his him back if it happens again. Dad has been shocked and had his life saved 3 times since then by his ICD!

Without the care of the staff and modern technology, my dad would simply not be here.

I want to do all I can to thank the Coronary Care Unit for me and my sister still having our dad.