Hartlepool great-grandfather thanks ambulance service after wife's heart scare

A Hartlepool man has praised an “excellent” ambulance crew for its quick response after his wife suffered a “heart scare”.
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Shortly after 6am earlier this month, John Vayro walked into his study and found wife Barbara, 77, slumped in a chair.

She had gone downstairs around 30 minutes earlier but was “totally unresponsive” and cold from head to toe.

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John, 80, thought his wife of 58 years had had a stroke and called 999 and family members for support.

Barbara and John Vayro have expressed have expressed their gratitude to the ambulance service.Barbara and John Vayro have expressed have expressed their gratitude to the ambulance service.
Barbara and John Vayro have expressed have expressed their gratitude to the ambulance service.

"When I came down she was totally unresponsive. I thought she'd had a stroke so I immediately rang my daughters who came down within about 10 minutes, they live locally,” said John, who is originally from Willington, near Crook, but has been living in Hartlepool since 1970.

He continued: "I also rang 999 and explained the situation. She was cold and clammy from head to toe which I knew wasn't right in any way whatsoever.”

"I thought this is the final countdown. Do I spend the rest of my life without my wife?,” added John.

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An ambulance arrived within 45 minutes and Barbara was soon transported to the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, where she was kept in overnight after a suspected minor heart attack was diagnosed.

John has the ambulance response team did a "marvellous" job.John has the ambulance response team did a "marvellous" job.
John has the ambulance response team did a "marvellous" job.

She went home the next day and the couple have since returned to their usual routine.

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They were so thankful for the quick response that John decided to contact the Hartlepool Mail to express their gratitude and offer “an alternative perspective” after the ambulance service was recently criticised for its response times.

He said if the ambulance had taken longer then the outcome might have been “totally different”.

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The former Hartlepool Art College teacher has also revealed that the lead paramedic who attended also helped the couple out six years ago when Barbara was seriously ill.

"You hear such horror stories from individual people who have written to the press with the exact opposite,” said John.

"I wanted to put the alternative perspective that everything that we had I can't criticise in any way whatsoever."

"As far as I'm concerned, everyone that we came into contact with provided an excellent service. There was no doubt about that," added John.

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The great-grandfather-of-seven continued: “The lead paramedic Mike actually attended in 2016 when my wife was very seriously ill with meningitis.

"He, by pure chance, was the main paramedic on that occasion, so we’ve seen him twice and, in that respect, I’d like to thank him twice.

"I think all I need to say is they did a very good job, a marvellous job. They got my wife to hospital as quick as possible. I can only thank them for that.”

Stephen Segasby, chief operating officer for North East Ambulance Service, said: “It’s great to hear that Mrs Vayro has gone on to make a full recovery and that she would like to thank our team for the care they provided.

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“We welcome all feedback into our service, good and bad, to help us improve the care we provide to our patients.

"Our ambulance crews don’t do this job for the thanks, they simply want to help people.

"But it means the world to them when they receive one and we’ll ensure Mrs Vayro’s praise is passed on to those involved in her care.”