Melbourne cardiac arrest survivor reunites with health heroes
October 30, 2024in News, Shocktober 2024
A Melbourne father who defied the odds and survived cardiac arrest has reunited with the first responders and bystander who helped save his life.
Lawton Ho was enjoying fish and chips with family and friends at San Remo in August when he suffered a cardiac arrest.
The 59-year-old suddenly slumped to the floor, with his daughter calling Triple Zero (000) and a family friend commencing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
(L-R) Front: Lawton Ho, FengYe. Back: Sergeant Lee Neubauer, Senior Constable Andrew Flanagan, AV Cowes Team Manager Paul De Fazio and ALS paramedic Simon McHenry.
Lawton’s wife Jenny said family friend FengYe, an intensive care nurse, happened to be there on the day and sprang into action.
“I call her our angel,” Jenny said.
“I just happened to invite her along that afternoon, and I believe she was meant to be there to help us.”
Ambulance Victoria (AV) Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics, Cowes Team Manager Paul De Fazio and Simon McHenry arrived soon after.
“We got there and it was a pretty hectic scene and the family was understandably distraught,” Mr De Fazio said.
“A family friend was doing very effective CPR with other bystanders, which is a critical part of the chain of survival, so this patient was certainly given the best chance of surviving.”
Two Victoria Police officers, Sergeant Lee Neubauer and Senior Constable Andrew Flanagan, also responded to the emergency.
“The police were a massive help to us and were able to take over the chest compressions which freed us up to take care of everything else,” Mr De Fazio said.
(L-R) AV Cowes Team Manager Paul De Fazio, Lawton Ho and ALS paramedic Simon McHenry.
Lawton received three shocks from a defibrillator and was intubated by Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics before being flown by air ambulance to The Victorian Heart Hospital.
Mr McHenry said while there were good signs, the outcome remained unclear.
“You never know which way it will go or what the patient’s quality of life will be if they do survive,” he said.
“It was a very good feeling when we heard Lawton had survived, and we would like to commend FengYe for the wonderful job she did providing CPR.
“It shows that anyone in the community can make a difference and help to save someone’s life, simply by knowing how to do CPR.”
After spending 20 days in hospital, Lawton was discharged with no lasting effects.
He is undergoing five weeks of rehabilitation and recently returned to work as a teacher’s aid.
The family was delighted to reunite with some of the first responders who helped save Lawton’s life as part of AV’s Shocktober campaign.
Shocktober is a month-long campaign that highlights the importance of learning CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
(L-R) Cardiac arrest survivor Lawton Ho and bystander FengYe.
“We know that bystander intervention has the greatest impact on improving someone’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest and that is the message we’re sharing this Shocktober,” Mr De Fazio said.
“In a cardiac arrest, for every minute that CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.”
Jenny said she believed her husband would survive.
“When they took him to hospital, I felt he was in good hands. I just knew he would be ok,” she said.
“We are very, very thankful.”
Publicly accessible AEDs in San Remo:
- San Remo Post Office, 105 Marine Parade, San Remo
- San Remo Fire Station, 69-71 Genista St, San Remo
- St Augustine’s Anglican Church, 111 Marine Parade, San Remo
- San Remo Fisherman’s Co-Op, 170 Marine Parade, San Remo
Shocktober is a month-long campaign to highlight the importance of learning CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).