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My funny, clever, strong and brave Pops suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at 4pm on 15 March whilst helping me with my gardening. My brother gave immediate CPR and 4 ambulances and the heli-med crew arrived within 8 minutes. His down time was 45 minutes, he was shocked 6 times, intubated, placed into an induced coma and taken to Basildon’s specialist heart centre. By 10pm the doctors told us to say goodbye because he wasn’t going to make it and even if he did, he would likely be severely brain damaged.

We stayed nearby the hospital for a few days waiting for the inevitable, grieving the loss of my dad and the love of my mums life. On day 3, the nurse handed him the phone and he spoke to us. In true Steve Dalton fashion, my dad defied every single odd that was stacked against him. My incredible dad fought through his coma and came back to us without even the slightest degree of brain damage. Anyone who knows my dad knows that he is the strongest, most determined man on earth, adored and appreciated by so many. We never doubted you for a second my Pops 🤍✨

After an out of hospital cardiac arrest, only 7% of people survive to discharge. I URGE you to click the link, take two minutes and read my dad’s story, understand the cruciality of knowing the signs of a cardiac arrest and learning CPR. I have never felt pain until I thought I’d lost my dad that day, and if raising awareness saves one single person from enduring that pain, then I will never stop sharing my dad’s story.

It was so difficult to choose a charity that I felt would most benefit from fundraising. I decided that my focus is on raising awareness of the importance of knowing the signs of SCA and knowing what steps to take to save your loved ones, or even a strangers life.

The Chain of Survival is a sequence of actions that, when properly performed, can significantly increase the chances of survival for someone experiencing CA.

1. Stage One in the chain is early recognition - my dad felt dizzy, sat down, had a seizure, came around and then he went blue and stopped breathing. This is NOT what you imagine when you picture a ‘heart attack’. It is so important to know the signs so that help is requested at an early stage.

2. Early CPR - My brother saved my dad’s life and his brain on that day by delivering immediate, life saving CPR. Once a person stops breathing, the body has 10 minutes of oxygen left that MUST be circulated to prevent brain and organ damage. It is so important to know the basics of CPR as a bystander. My brother kept my dad in a shockable rhythm so that shocks could be delivered by paramedics.

3. Early defibrillation - If accessible, an AED should be used to restore a normal heart rhythm. There is a defib-finder site that shows where your nearest AED’s are. The paramedics shocked my dad 6 times to restore his rhythm. My dad now has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placed in his chest to ensure early shocks are delivered should this ever happen again.

4. Post resuscitation care - My dad wasn’t stable enough to be taken to Essex Cardiothoracic Centre by air, so was placed into an induced coma and onto a ventilator so that his body could focus on recovering his vital organs. Three days later, my dad woke up in the ICU- and the rest is history.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and understand my dad’s story. I love you eternally my Pops ❤️‍🩹