Huddersfield man given 6% chance of survival after collapse during Huddersfield park run

A 55-year-old man who almost died just before a Huddersfield Park run 10 years ago enjoyed an emotional reunion with the medics who saved his life this weekend.

Sean Doyle of Brockholes collapsed at Greenhead Park just before the Park run after suffering a cardiac arrest, which is mostly fatal when happening out of hospital. But he was fortunate in that his GP Dr Emma Spencer and a nurse Dinah Coogan were able to give him CPR before a paramedic Kate Young arrived.

After spending 36 hours in an induced coma, he was given a 6% chance of survival with his wife Helen warned he would probably suffer serious brain damage but incredibly he made a complete recovery and has clocked up thousands of miles running ever since.

On Saturday morning he and the medics met up at the 5km Parkrun along with dozens of others to celebrate a day many thought he would never see. He ran the course to raise money for Heart Research UK.

Kate recalled that day 10 years ago saying: "I was the first paramedic on the scene. I suppose it was unusual for someone to collapse at the start of the race rather than at the end. I shocked him with the defibrillator. I have come today to see Sean and catch up with him. I have not seen him since 2017."

Emma added: "It's the first Park run I have done for three years, it was quite emotional running round together. I remember the day quite well. I was marshalling and was outside the cafe when someone told me that someone had fallen. I went to have a look and there was Sean on the floor, bleeding. There was another chap with him who was also a GP.

"I realised that he was not breathing, we turned him over and started CPR. It always seems a long time but I think it was around 10 minutes before Kate arrived. So, there were two GPs, a nurse and a physio all doing CPR. It didn't seem very hopeful, I had never seen him before but I recognised his wife's name as a patient at the surgery.

"It's pretty much a miracle how he survived. Survivial rates in these circumstances are not high." He was taken in an ambulance to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary with a fellow runner Simon Edwards.

Helen said: "If it had not been for Emma and Dinah he wouldn't be here. I remember getting a phone call at home from a fellow runner saying there had been an incident. I just remember thinking: 'Oh, God, what has he done now?!'

"My mum drove me to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and I don't like recalling it. We were in the relatives' room and a consultant told me that if he survived there's a high chance he would suffer serious brain damage. I had to tell my 13-year-old daughter Katie and nine-year-old son Oliver.

"We were already looking into how we could kit our home out to cope with the disability if that happened. I ended up collapsing on my mum in tears. He was covered in blood as he had fallen down some steps and was in an induced coma but amazingly by Thursday he was discharged.

"It's very bitter-sweet. He slept through most of it but it was an emotional roller-coaster for me and the family. I wanted to burn his running boots! I only had two hours sleep last night and I was in two minds about coming today to be honest."

Sean said: "It's been great to see everyone who helped save my life today and to run around this course with Emma was very special. My medical team did a great job, both at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital. I am proof that the NHS does work."

He has done over 300 Park runs in his life and is aiming to do a total of 2,000 miles this year (he's currently on just under 700 miles). And he has run more than the distance of the UK to New Zealand since suffering a life-changing cardiac arrest.