Cardiac arrest: Former Gazette reporter on BBC documentary

Clive Hammond, who was a reporter at the Basingstoke Gazette and also worked for the Southern Daily Echo, Hampshire Chronicle, Andover Advertiser and Romsey Advertiser, spoke about his terrifying experience when his heart stopped beating aged just 31.

Rebirth, a Radio 4 documentary, will look into what happens in those potentially life-ending moments when the body goes into cardiac arrest.

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Clive Hammond (Image: Clive Hammond)

It follows Clive, a journalist and cardiac arrest survivor, as he attempts to piece together what happened during his own experience suffering a cardiac arrest, an event where a person’s heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body.

On October 11, 2021, Clive - who is originally from Southampton but now lives in London - suffered an in-patient cardiac arrest at Lewisham Hospital.

Since then, Clive has been on a mission to understand exactly what the body goes through during an arrest, how it can survive after the heart has stopped and what support is out there for people.

“I can only remember small 15 or 20 second snapshots of the days building up to my cardiac arrest,” Clive said. “Like so many survivors, I have found acceptance of the new reality of life after a cardiac arrest and the challenges this may bring a heavy burden, a feeling that is sadly shared with others across the country.

“Having an arrest in your thirties is rare, and finding those around me that have experienced a similar trauma was one of the biggest motivations behind piecing together my own journey and sharing it. The documentary was also really important to try and show other people from my generation that having a cardiac arrest so young will transform your life - but it doesn’t have to define you.”

During the 30 minute documentary, Clive meets a cast of incredible people who share their own unique experiences. Among the interviewees is Clive’s wife Victoria, who helps him understand what happened during his four-day coma, and Meg, a student who had her own cardiac arrest which had life-altering consequences.

Survival rates in cases of cardiac arrests can make for difficult reading. The British Heart Foundation says if someone has a cardiac arrest outside the hospital, only one in 10 people survive.

Each year there are more than 30,000 incidents of this occurring in the UK, with thousands more cardiac arrests taking place inside hospitals.

The charity adds that over 23 million adults in Britain have not learned CPR, the resuscitation technique that can help save a life by pumping blood around the body until the heart is able to do so again.

Clive adds: “I hope this documentary helps people know that even if you, or someone you love, succumb to a cardiac arrest, there is hope.

“Life will be different - but that doesn’t mean it is over.”

To listen to the documentary visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0024626.