Family thank heroes with charity day

A Hartlepool family will be throwing a garden party to raise cash for air ambulance heroes.
Daryl Sanders suffered a cardiac arrest at home, and was saved by his mother.Daryl Sanders suffered a cardiac arrest at home, and was saved by his mother.
Daryl Sanders suffered a cardiac arrest at home, and was saved by his mother.

The family of Daryl Sanders say he would not have survived if it had not been for the work of paramedics and the members of the Great North Air Ambulance, after he suffered a cardiac arrest at his mum’s house in Greenock Road.

Daryl, 29, also praised the quick-thinking actions of his mum, Susan Ray, 52, who gave her only child CPR, keeping him alive until medics arrived.

Dryl Sanders and his son, SonnyDryl Sanders and his son, Sonny
Dryl Sanders and his son, Sonny
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Now, the family is organising a garden party with attractions and raffles, on Saturday and all proceeds will be going to the air ambulance.

Susan said: “If it hadn’t been for them, my son would not be alive today.

“You can never, ever thank them enough for that, but this is just our way of doing something to say thank you.

“I can’t believe how generous family and friends have been in donating things for the raffle, we have had some fabulous items.”

Dryl Sanders and his son, SonnyDryl Sanders and his son, Sonny
Dryl Sanders and his son, Sonny
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Daryl collapsed in July while in his mum’s garden and a friend who was with him at the time realised something was seriously wrong.

Paramedics in a rapid response vehicle rushed to the address before the Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA) flew to the scene to take Daryl, 29, to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Self-employed block paver, Daryl, dad to Sonny, four, is making a remarkable recovery, but still can’t remember much about the incident.

He said: “I can just remember having palpatations and then I hit the floor.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Then I woke up in a bed in James Cook and I still didn’t know how I’d got there.”

Susan said going through the experience of her son suffering a cardiac arrest was terrible.

She said: “It was one of the worst days of my life, you never, ever expect to have to give CPR to your child.

“Both the paramedics and the air ambulance crew were fantastic, he would not be alive today if it wasn’t for them. No-one ever thinks they are going to need the Great North Air Ambulance, but you just never know.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Specialists told Daryl he was very lucky to be alive as the odds of someone surviving a cardiac arrest are very slim.

Friends, family and neighbours will gather in Susan’s garden on Saturday and she hopes to raise around £1,000 for the GNAA.