A SOUTH Ockendon man has reunited with the East of England Ambulance Service crews who saved his life after he went into cardiac arrest at home nearly a year ago.

Sixty‑three‑year‑old Ken Christy and his partner, Gemma Hurrell, visited Basildon Ambulance Station to personally thank the teams who arrived within minutes of his collapse and delivered the lifesaving care that gave him a second chance.

Ken suffered a cardiac arrest at home while the couple were caring for their six‑month‑old daughter, Grace. The swift response from ambulance crews played a vital role in his survival.

Reflecting on the past year, Gemma described the family's journey as "long and challenging," with Ken still recovering while continuing to help care for Grace. Despite the difficulties, the family has also celebrated significant milestones.

Since the incident, Ken has welcomed a new grandchild – born to his son Ryan and daughter‑in‑law Terrie – and has cherished being present for his other daughter, Maddie.

Their visit to the station was an emotional opportunity to express gratitude to the clinicians whose quick actions made these moments possible.

Ken has recently had an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) fitted at Basildon University Hospital – a hospital he and Gemma are quick to praise for the excellent care they received.

The device should help him progress further with his rehabilitation. Since the cardiac arrest, Ken has been unable to return to work as a butcher.

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On the evening of his cardiac arrest, Ken had been experiencing what he believed was routine heartburn before going upstairs around 9pm to continue decorating Grace's bedroom. When Gemma saw him, she instantly recognised he was extremely unwell. Ken initially blamed his heavy sweating on the heat from the wallpaper steamer, but moments later he collapsed.

Gemma immediately dialled 999 and was connected to call handler Sarah Spinks in the Bedford Emergency Operations Centre. She credits her eldest daughter, Katie, 15, with helping her stay calm and starting chest compressions before ambulance crews arrived.

Within just three minutes of the 999 call, the first ambulance – staffed by Paramedic Jessica Ellis and Emergency Medical Technician Lok Fung – arrived and took over life‑saving interventions. They were soon joined by a second crew, Paramedic Robert Gray and Emergency Medical Technician Victoria Conn, along with Paramedic Lewis Mankelow in an ambulance officer vehicle.

Our Life-Saving Crew | Essex & Herts Air Ambulance

Critical care support was also provided by the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance team, including Dr Frances Arnold and Advanced Paramedic in Critical Care Adam Pitcairn.

Crews worked on Ken for half an hour in an attempt to restart his heart. Gemma vividly remembers the moment the possibility of stopping CPR was raised.

"I said they had to keep going – Ken has a six‑month‑old daughter, and he needs to be here for her and for all of us."

Thankfully, Ken's heart restarted shortly afterwards.

The air ambulance team then performed a Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI) to secure his airway and stabilise his condition. This advanced procedure allowed clinicians to protect his breathing and provide controlled ventilation before he was transported to the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre for further treatment.

There, Ken was diagnosed with a blocked valve that had triggered the cardiac arrest.

Mike Bates, Interim Head of Clinical Operations in Mid and South Essex, welcomed Ken and Gemma to the ambulance station along with daughters Katie, Erinn, 12, and Grace, now approaching 18 months old.

He introduced them to the crews who were first on scene and said that meeting patients is a powerful reminder of the impact ambulance staff have every day.

He said: "It was a pleasure to meet Ken and the family, and I hope his recovery continues to go well.

"For the crews to see Ken today and hear the family's story demonstrates what a rewarding career working for the ambulance service is, and the impact we have on a daily basis."

Ken said: "It was quite emotional for Gemma and me seeing the teams who saved my life.

"I don't remember anything about what happened and today has filled in a lot of blanks.

"I will be forever thankful to them all for enabling me to be here for Gemma and the children."