Meeting the people who saved my life
I went to the London Ambulance Service with the Moms. As I was standing at reception waiting for the PR guy, a policeman came in and asked for Ruby Stark and I said I’m Ruby and put out my hand and then realised he was going for a hug and we embraced. I took him to meet my Mum in the waiting room and they hugged, too. We got talking and N, the policeman, told his part of the story. He said he was going past with his partner on their motorbikes and he saw a crowd on the pavement. He went to investigate and found me on the floor in the recovery position. He said I had gone blue. A passerby was on the phone with the emergency services and tried to pass the phone, but N shoved him aside and began mouth-to-mouth and chest-compressions. After four and a half minutes, I coughed in his face.
At that moment, he started crying, my Mum started crying and I started crying. Mum and N hugged again. My Dad arrived and we retold the story and he nearly cried.
The PR guy arrived and we went to the coffee room. The paramedics arrived and seemed kind of detached and professionally dutiful. A photographer chap took some photos of us in the back of an ambulance, and then we all shared doughnuts and cookies. One of the paramedics asked me what my plans were and I said I was moving to Berlin. I explained that I’d applied in May and got a phone interview, but then I died and Mum had to explain to them that I was indisposed. Everyone laughed, and I think the ice broke. My sister arrived.
We took some more photos with me astride a paramedic motorbike in my dress and tights and schoolgirl shoes. And N asked if I wanted to take a photo with his Police hat on and I politely agreed and my Mum took a photo that will never ever see the light of day.
One of the paramedics said that the first five minutes after a cardiac arrest are crucial and it became clear that N had saved my life.
We all hugged goodbye and my Mum and Dad agreed to go on an ambulance shift as observers.
Afterwards, my Mum, Dad, sister and I went for supper. I remember when I saw Touching the Void with my Mum and her friend and her friend’s son. We all came out and felt like we’d been through the emotional wringer, but we just couldn’t stop talking and we were all on such a high. Supper felt like that. I felt tired, but very special and loved.