Northumberland Royal Mail worker returns to work 10 weeks after family told to say goodbyes

When Graeme Jerdan suffered a cardiac arrest before his 60th birthday his family were told to say their goodbyes.

The Royal Mail worker was at home with his wife Debra when he a went into sudden cardiac arrest mid conversation. Within 20 minutes, Graeme was being airlifted to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).

But he tragically suffered a second cardiac arrest en-route to hospital and his wife was told to "ring any family that would want to say goodbye."

Graeme was put into a medically induced coma by GNAAS' paramedic and doctor team and airlifted to NSECH in 20 minutes. And much to the amazement of everyone, he managed to wake himself up the following morning and remained in hospital for nearly two weeks, where he was fitted with an internal defibrillator.

He said: "There was no cause identified for the sudden cardiac arrests; my heart was undamaged, bloods fine and arteries all clear. 10 weeks after my cardiac arrest I had a phased return to work at Royal Mail and was soon back to work full time.

"My recovery has amazed everyone, and I lead a full active life. Myself, my wife, and my family can never thank GNAAS enough for what they did for me that day. I never imagined I'd ever need their help, and I will be eternally grateful. Living in the north of the county GNAAS is an essential service. Without it, I wouldn't be here to tell my story."

To mark the one-year anniversary of his incident, which happened on 30 August 2023, a fundraising party was held a year to the day Graeme, from Berwick, woke up from his coma, and they raised £1,500 for GNAAS. The 'thank you party' was organised by Graeme, 60, and his wife Debra for friends and family who supported them following Graeme's cardiac arrest.

One of the attendees was Graeme's nephew-in-law Mark Hogg, 35, also from Berwick, who also required the services of GNAAS when he was just a child. Mark was only ten years old when he was cycling from school to his home in Belford and involved in a collision with a car.

He said: "I was 150 yards from a junction when I pedalled straight into an oncoming car from my right. I was then treated by paramedics on scene before GNAAS arrived at the local football field and flew me to Newcastle General Hospital. Paramedics, and also family friends told my parents that I would be lucky to ever walk again."

Mark was taken to intensive care where they drilled into his skull to relieve pressure in his brain, and he also sustained a broken collarbone.

He said: "After four days of being in a coma and in intensive care I was moved onto a ward where I went through intense physiotherapy, learning how to walk again and regain my strength after losing it down my whole right side of my body. I also had to learn how to regain my voice and learn how to write again."

Mark eventually returned to school and got back on a bike again, and he’s since lived a relatively normal life, working as a chef and having a family.

He said: "GNAAS is so important as it saves so many lives. People need to support this charity because you literally wake up every morning and you don't know if you may ever need it or not. In my case a 20-minute flight could have been the difference between life or death rather than a 45-60 minute drive down in an ambulance. My dad used it too in 2009 after falling off a roof at work, as well as my wife's uncle Graeme after suffering a cardiac arrest."

Following Graeme’s incident last year, Mark decided to buy a charity place for the Great North Run and he raised £900 for GNAAS.

He said: "To complete my first Great North Run felt like a fantastic achievement and I urge anyone who is contemplating whether to do it to just go for it. The support you get from the crowd keeps you going and the atmosphere of the whole day is just unbelievable. I enjoyed it so much I've signed up for next year."

GNAAS have charity places available for the Great North Run, which require runners to raise a minimum of £300. For those interested, you can buy your place here.

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