Cardiac arrest survivor reunites with schoolboys who saved him
GEORGE TOWN: Meeting the people who brought you back to life is an experience few can imagine.
For real estate agent Long Soo Keat, that overwhelming moment became reality when he was reunited with the St John Ambulance heroes who revived him on a football field eight years ago.
His heart had stopped for 12 minutes, and five schoolboy volunteers desperately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to resuscitate him.
Long suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) while playing football with fellow Chung Ling High School alumni at the school field on Sept 1, 2018.
“There were no warning signs. I was playing and suddenly felt exhausted. I walked off the field and blacked out,” he recalled.
The five first responders were Gabriel Soon Chai Long and Liong Jun Yong, both aged 16 then, and 14-year-olds Ansley Tan Zhong, S. Shaman and Tang Yi Ze.
Soon, a fifth-year medical student at Universiti Malaya (UM) now, said he was not originally assigned to first-aid duty that day.
He said the AED in the school enabled three critical links in the chain of survival – early recognition, CPR and defibrillation.
He said he and the other boys delivered three shocks with the AED and a fourth from an ambulance defibrillator before his heart began beating again.
He was then rushed to hospital, where he was warded for about two weeks.
Shaman, 22, a third-year medical student at UM, described the dramatic life-saving act as a turning point in his life.
“I started being concerned about health issues. I also realised the importance of highly trained first responders. This drove me to study medicine,” he said.
Penang Heart Safe Society president Datuk Dr Luah Lean Wah said the feat of the volunteers was hugely significant, as Long’s chances of survival at that moment were less than 1%.
Another survivor, Wong Kean Hoe, 56, recounted how a volunteer firefighter performed CPR on him when he suffered a cardiac arrest three years ago.
He said the experience prompted him to eat better and become more aware of his physical limits.
Penang Hospital director Dr Goh Hin Kwang told the conference that even bystanders can help save lives in the critical minutes before medical teams arrive.
“Many hesitate, as they are afraid of doing something wrong. Through proper training and awareness, we hope more people will have the courage and knowledge to respond,” he said.
The three-day conference was organised by the Malaysian Resuscitation Association and the Penang Heart Safe Society.
