After breathing in her own vomit, Zoe almost died at the age of 19

Cambridgeshire based Zoe had been feeling ill for a couple of days so booked an appointment with her GP, but she soon felt too weak to face going to the doctors, so her parents went on her behalf. When they got home they found Zoe on the sofa, unconscious. She had had a seizure. They called 999 and were told to lie her on the floor. As they did this, they were faced with the horrible realisation that she had suffered a rare complication and breathed in her own vomit, stopping her breathing altogether and causing her to go into respiratory arrest.

Every parent’s nightmare; her mum and dad took it in turns to perform CPR on Zoe until the emergency services arrived – including Magpas Air Ambulance. Magpas Doctor Steve Corry-Bass and Critical Care Paramedic Steve Chambers placed Zoe into a medically induced coma in her living room – taking over her breathing to protect her brain – before rushing her to hospital.

Zoe explains, “My parents were told I was so hypoxic that I would have serious brain damage when I came around, and that I wouldn’t know who anyone was. However, I woke up in critical care 3 days later with no lasting effects and shocked everyone – two days after that I went home.”

Later in the year Zoe met the Magpas Air Ambulance medics who saved her life. “I was terrified to fall asleep again for a long time after the incident”, Zoe says. “But after visiting the Magpas Air Ambulance operations base and hearing what the doctor and paramedic who treated me had to say, it felt like a weight had been lifted.”

Zoe continues, “We were told it was an unwitnessed seizure that caused the incident, but it took a long time to get to the bottom of it. Fortunately, I’ve now been diagnosed with epilepsy so I can finally get the medication I need and get on with the thing I love to do best – travelling!”

“Since the incident in 2018, I’ve visited Dubai, Turkey, New York, Iceland, Budapest, Indonesia and the Philippines – and I already have more trips planned! My favourite country was the Philippines; it had the bluest water I’ve ever seen and the friendliest, most welcoming people.”

“It’s only thanks to Magpas Air Ambulance that I’ve seen these places and had these experiences. They saved my life when I was 19 years old. I had my whole life ahead of me, and thanks to the Magpas medical team I’m still here to make the most of that life and live my dream of travelling.”

“Magpas Air Ambulance needs your ongoing support to continue to provide their lifesaving service. You never think something like this will happen to you, but if it does you’d want to be in the care of a charity like Magpas Air Ambulance – the best of the best!”

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