A WOMAN from Modbury has been reunited with two St John Ambulance first aiders who persuaded her to seek life saving medical attention.

When Maggie Eley was taken ill at the 2015 Pershore Jazz Festival in Worcestershire, local volunteers Adam Hoskins and Tomas Davies were on hand to look after her.

But checking Maggie over, they found she had a serious heart problem that needed immediate treatment.

One year on and following surgery, a fighting fit Maggie returned to the festival to say thank you to the men who saved her life.

Adam Hoskins said: ’We generally don’t see people again once we’ve treated them, but it was great to see Maggie – especially as she’s looking so well. 

‘She was a patient where we had to pull out all the stops to convince her to have treatment, because she didn’t want any fuss.

’Maggie had passed out three times at the event, and had several episodes prior to the festival, but hadn’t seen a healthcare professional. It was our intervention that made the difference.’

Adam and Tomas were initially called to a report of a fall. When they reached Maggie, she said she wanted to go home, but the first aiders convinced her to have some tests to check her condition further.

Using their cardiac monitor, they discovered her heart had an irregular rhythm and sent her to Worcester Royal Hospital where she had further treatment.

Maggie later underwent surgery to correct the problem and returned to this year’s Pershore Jazz Festival to say thanks.

Adam added: ’We received a cheque from Maggie’s husband, Bob, with a note saying ’Thank you for saving my wife’s life’. It’s humbling, and very nice for a former patient to come and see us.

‘It always seems funny to say, ’we saved a life’. We’re part of a team, but we genuinely helped Maggie that day.

‘The consequences could have been disastrous if we hadn’t persuaded her to seek further medical help.’

Maggie has been to the festival for the last nine years, in the camper van she and Bob bought on retirement from the soft furnishings business they ran together.

She said: ’We are forever grateful for the assistance of the lovely people from St John Ambulance, and we’ll continue to support the charity with further donations. 

‘I’ve been telling all my friends how lucky I was that the charity’s volunteers were on hand to take care of me that night.

‘I’d felt faint in the past and always thought I just needed some fresh air – I had no idea there was anything wrong with me.

‘Thanks to St John Ambulance’s volunteers I have a new lease of life and hope to enjoy many more visits to Pershore, which my husband and I think is the best jazz festival around.’

For more information on St John Ambulance’s work, including how to become a volunteer and details of training for the public, schools and businesses, visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 104950.