Life After Cardiac Arrest

Thirteen months after her first appearance, Dr Uzma Sajjad is back. RescQ, the co-survivor support service she leads at the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre with the East of England Ambulance Service, has finished its one-year pilot. The headline: of 432 eligible cardiac arrests in Essex, just over half resulted in someone being offered support, comfortably clearing the feasibility target. Around 300 co-survivors were reached. Twenty-seven of them asked for a personal conversation, and Uzma ended up having each one herself. What she heard in them was not what she expected.

In this episode:

• Why only half, and not all of them? A candid answer about how new ideas do or do not stick in an ambulance service
• What the paramedics made of it, in their own words
• Why Uzma refused to use a script, and what happened when she let people lead
• The question co-survivors ask again and again, and the one answer that brings relief every time
• The people who saved a life and cannot bear being called a hero
• How the conversation changes when the patient died, and when the rescuer was a stranger who will never find out
• The one in ten co-survivors who are under 18, and why there is nothing for them yet
• The video that is missing from the RescQ website
• The finding that surprised us both
• Who should provide this support, and whether it really needs a cardiologist
• What a year of these conversations cost her, and the phrase a Scottish nurse gave her for it
• The 2025 Resuscitation Council UK guidelines, which now say offer support, and how far reality is from that
• What happens to RescQ next
• Whether "the forgotten patients" is still the right name

Our first conversation with Dr Sajjad, recorded when RescQ was three months old: https://suddencardiacarrestuk.org/2025/11/new-podcast-episode-rescq-support-for-the-forgotten-patients-with-dr-uzma-sajjad/

Did you witness a cardiac arrest, do CPR or make the call? You do not need to be in Essex to get help: https://suddencardiacarrestuk.org/get-support/co-survivors/

Work for an ambulance service, cardiac network or trust? If you want to know what it would take to bring something like RescQ to your area, email [email protected] and we will connect you with the Essex team.

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Lucinda Dodd was 24, living in London and, by her own account, doing everything right. Then, on the morning of Christmas Eve, she had a cardiac arrest in her sleep.

Her mum, a nurse with decades of experience, found her, pulled her onto the floor and gave CPR for fifteen minutes with no response at all. Her 21-year-old brother called 999. Her dad froze. The paramedics shocked her eight times, and on the ninth her heart restarted. They worked on her in the house for over an hour. She woke up on Christmas Day.

Most guests on this podcast had a settled life to get back to. Lucinda did not have one yet. In this conversation, she talks about what a cardiac arrest does to a life that has barely started, and about the version of survivorship that nobody has written a leaflet for.

We cover:

• That morning, and why she believes her family suffered more than she did
• Her brother, who thought she was dead, made the call, and has only recently started talking about it
• Why co-survivors carry something of their own, and how little the system offers them
• A diagnosis of "idiopathic", and living without an explanation
• Two heart medications from your mid-twenties, when nobody has sixty years of data
• Her S-ICD, which she calls "my box", and how long it took to make peace with it
• The hospital leaflet promising she would make her grandchild's third birthday, when what she wanted was her 25th
• Losing her driving licence, finding SCA UK, and being decades younger than anyone else on her ward
• A month in Canada, a week off-grid in Wells Gray with no phone signal, and the moment she realised she had not thought about it once
• Who actually sets a survivor's boundaries: you, your clinicians, or the people who love you
• Writing about it, and why her family's story is not only hers to tell
• What a space for younger survivors should look like, designed by someone who needed one

Lucinda writes at Lucinda's Letters: https://lucindajohannaelizabeth.substack.com Her blog for SCA UK on the Canada trip: https://scauk.org/rUIh

Content note: this episode includes a detailed account of a cardiac arrest and resuscitation, and touches on bereavement and on some very low moments during recovery.

Were you young when it happened to you? We are working out what a space for younger survivors inside SCA UK should look like, and Lucinda is helping us think it through. If you had your cardiac arrest in your twenties or thirties, we would like to hear what you make of it. Email [email protected] with "young survivors" in the subject line.

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In this episode, host Paul Swindell reconnects with Professor Jerry Nolan — editor in chief of the journal Resuscitation and a leading figure in resuscitation science — six years after their first conversation.

Together, they explore how survival rates have plateaued amid changing patient demographics, the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac arrest outcomes, and the massive collaborative effort behind the 2025 ERC guidelines, which for the first time formally included patient and co-survivor involvement.

They discuss key changes, including the redesigned Chain of Survival — now featuring a dedicated survivorship ring — the shift away from routine cooling after cardiac arrest, advances in prognostication that can now predict good outcomes (not just poor ones), and the emerging role of AI in everything from analysing 999 calls to streamlining guideline development.

Professor Nolan also shares his views on genetic screening for younger cardiac arrest survivors, the growing recognition of co-survivors and the psychological toll on bystanders, and why the evidence base for post-arrest rehabilitation remains frustratingly thin despite widespread acknowledgement of the need.

A wide-ranging and honest conversation about where resuscitation science stands today — and what still needs to change.

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This episode features an extraordinary conversation with Patrick Charnley, author of the acclaimed novel This My Second Life, who suffered a cardiac arrest in February 2021 that left him with a severe brain injury. Host Paul Swindell talks with Patrick about his remarkable journey—from 40 minutes without a heartbeat, through cortical blindness, hallucinations, and pathological apathy, to discovering that his brain injury unlocked a new depth and honesty in his writing. Together, they explore the realities of living with fatigue and memory loss, the importance of mourning your previous life, and how slowing down can lead to a richer, more present existence. Patrick also shares how nature, creativity, and the literary legacy of his mother, celebrated author Helen Dunmore, have shaped his recovery and his work. Whether you're a survivor, a co-survivor, or simply looking for a story of resilience and hope, this episode offers both insight and inspiration.

Presented and edited by Paul Swindell.

Recorded February 2026.

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This episode shines a spotlight on the vital role of co-survivors—those whose lives are deeply impacted when a loved one experiences a medical crisis. Host Paul Swindell is joined by Kristin Flanary, also known as Lady Glaucomflecken, a leading advocate and communicator who has turned her personal journey as a three-time co-survivor into a powerful movement. Together, they discuss the challenges co-survivors face, the importance of naming and validating their experiences, and how Kristin and her husband, Dr Glaucomflecken, have built a supportive community through humour and advocacy. Whether you’re a survivor, a co-survivor, or interested in the human side of healthcare, this episode offers inspiration and practical wisdom.

Presented and edited by Paul Swindell.

Recorded September 2025.

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This episode is the second of two parts with cardiac arrest survivor Jeanne Reilly. Jeanne is also a speech and language therapist with many years of experience addressing communication issues and is the ideal person to offer insights and solutions to the common communication issues survivors experience. In this second part, Jeanne shares her professional experience and how it can help other survivors and their key supporters. The first part explored Jeanne's cardiac arrest experience and how her professional experience has eased the recovery.

Presented and edited by Paul Swindell.

Recorded August 2025. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is the first of two parts with cardiac arrest survivor Jeanne Reilly. Jeanne is also a speech and language therapist with many years of experience dealing with communication issues and is the ideal person to offer insights and solutions to the common issues survivors experience. This first part explores Jeanne's cardiac arrest experience and how her professional experience has eased the recovery. In the second part, Jeanne shares her professional experience and how it can help other survivors and their key supporters.

Presented and edited by Paul Swindell.

Recorded August 2025. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores the CARESSf Project, an innovative initiative designed to improve survivorship care for people affected by cardiac arrest. Host Paul Swindell is joined by Dr. Nathan Pearson, a psychologist and lead researcher, to discuss how the project aims to bridge the gap between hospital discharge and long-term recovery. Together, they unpack the challenges survivors and their families face, the importance of holistic support, and what makes the CARESSf approach unique. Whether you’re a survivor, a loved one, or interested in advances in cardiac care, this episode offers valuable insights and hope for the future.

Presented and edited by Paul Swindell.

Recorded August 2025. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Paul Swindell speaks with Dr Uzma Sajjad about the innovative RESCQ Project. This pioneering initiative supports those present at a resuscitation event—often called the "forgotten patients"—who witness out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Dr Sajjad explains how the project, currently piloting in Essex, provides vital resources, emotional support, and personalised guidance to those affected by these traumatic events. Listeners will learn about the project's origins, its collaborative approach, and the importance of addressing the psychological impact on bystanders. Tune in to discover how RESCQ is bridging a crucial gap in post-resuscitation care and changing lives

Presented and edited by Paul Swindell.

Recorded July 2025. 

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Never the same man, Part 2, with Paul chatting with co-survivor David Moore on his son's cardiac arrest, recovery and journey to healing though the creation of a book - "Never the same man." This volume captures the words and images that enabled Richard to communicate with his family how he was feeling. Finding creative writing, first through scrambled thoughts on scraps of paper and then into fully formed poems, Richard has captured many of the thoughts and fears, trials and tribulations of being a cardiac arrest survivor. The book is co-authored with his father, David Moore, who is interviewed in this episode and conducted many of the dialogues that went into forming the core of the book. This episode contains several of Richards read by the author, and they can also be seen in video form on Richard's YouTube channel.

Heart Breaks

Shit, here we go again, digging heels in to resist, dragged to the edge, hoping people don’t see the cliff.

My voice starts to waiver, eyes fill with dread, hairs on my back, like needles in my head.

Stop stop please stop, take another breath, swallow down the sad, compose back to myself.

It was a simple question, tell me how are things, nails dug in my palms. Sirens start to ring.

Things get easier with time, and oh you’ll be fine. Clearly all just lies, aiding the disguise.

But this time there’s no masking, tears down my face, in the head teachers office, let me out this place.

It’s just a conversation, with a million people listening, uncomfortably sitting, changing my position.

Record button rolling, the stampede has begun, the horse left with out the carriage. Should I just up & run?

The breaks of my heart, shudder to a stop, my heartbreak tale, wish I could swap.

Here comes the wave, that knocks me off my feet, tumbling in the undertow, palms the hottest heat.

I’m falling apart, for everyone to see, a fully grown adult, it’s not how I should be.

Would you like to take a break, a sympathetic voice, the sad doesn’t really stop, I don’t get that choice.

Can I take a break from it all, go back to the time before, before all the mess, before the closing of the door.

I should have know better than to think I’m ok, the overwhelming dark it never goes away.

Feeling quite embarrassed, a pausing of the show, handing me a tissue, not how it’s supposed to go.

Stop button pressed, this is as far as I can take. The end of the line, my story of heartbreak.

See Richard's YouTube Channel for more of his poems and videos

Purchase the book at neverthesameman.co.uk – Never The Same Man

Recorded and edited by Paul Swindell, 2025

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