If it’s not a miracle, we’re close. So much so that the doctors themselves gave him very little chance of survival and even less of a complete recovery. But the story of Ben Wilson proves that anything is possible. The man, 31 years old from Barnsley (UK), last June was caught by a cardiac arrest in his home: despite attempts to resuscitate him, his heart stopped beating for about 50 minutes, stopping twice while the paramedics used the defibrillator.
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The heart attack, the coma and the slow recovery
Transported to hospital and operated on urgently, Wilson was placed in coma pharmacological to try to reduce damage to the brain due to lack of blood supply. The doctors immediately told her girlfriend, Rebecca Holmesthat Ben would hardly have made it.
And even if he had survived, he would most likely have spent the rest of his life in a vegetative state. But after 5 weeks in a coma, the man was not only awakened, but also began a slow, but surprising, rehabilitation process.
Ben Wilson slowly started walking and talking again. Eight months after the heart attack, the man left the hospital and returned home. All this time Rebekka remained at his side, and she was also the first to help him after his illness by giving him a cardiac massage. Throughout the period of the coma, the woman kept company with her boyfriend, who murmured the word “Rebekka” as soon as she reopened her eyes.
The marriage proposal
Then at Christmas Ben asked her to marry him: «I am grateful to everyone who allowed me to be here today – he told the Daily Mail, which tells his story -. I’m happy that Rebekka stayed there with me, I don’t know what would have happened to me if she had left. I have a second chance at her life and I will take it with Rebekka by my side.”
The cause of cardiac arrest
The doctor Jennifer Hill, medical director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where Wilson was treated, said: “We are pleased to hear that Ben is well, his recovery is even more remarkable given the severity of his condition when he arrived at hospital. That he has made such significant progress is a testament to the skill of our medical teams, our regional health service colleagues, and, of course, Ben’s determination and resilience.”
Doctors told the couple that the blood clot that triggered the heart attack was probably due to Ben Wilson’s unhealthy habits, such as a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and a poor diet.
Copyright: Glen Minikin
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