A WORCESTER woman whose heroic actions helped save the life of a man last year has been shortlisted to win a special award at a star-studded event.
Karen Lawrence, along with Diane Fullerton from Ledbury, will attend St John Ambulance’s Everyday Heroes annual awards ceremony next month after they were both named as finalists in the Workplace Hero category for saving the life of Chris McDonald in Pershore in May.
The pair will meet some of the stars of the small screen with many celebrities, including stars from Coronation Street, taking part in the glitzy, black-tie ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel on Wednesday, March 26.
While working for Pershore based company General Dynamics UK, Karen and Diane’s first aid training was to come to significant use when Mr McDonald collapsed during a special visit to the firm.
As the on-site first-aid trainers, the pair responded quickly to the incident assessing their surroundings and recognising the seriousness of the situation which they and Mr McDonald were facing.
While the meeting attendees were sent into panic by the worrying scenes unfolding in front of them, Karen and Diane kept calm and took control and began Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation which had proved unsuccessful.
On the advice of the emergency services dispatcher, they then used a defibrillator to deliver two shocks to Chris’ heart – keeping him alive until the paramedics arrived.
Two days later Chris regained consciousness and spent three weeks in intensive care.
He was later diagnosed with a genetic heart defect which can cause irregular heartbeats to happen.
Without the timely intervention of Karen and Diane, Chris – who is the father of a young son – would have died.
The awards ceremony, which will be hosted by TV presenter Tess Daly, celebrates the achievements of normal working people who have used first aid to save a life as well as individuals and businesses which help champion the cause and create more first aiders to communities throughout the UK.
Awards on the night will be presented by celebrities including Dragons Den star Duncan Bannatyne, Coronation Street’s Michelle Keegan and Samia Ghadie alongside TV’s Dr Dawn Harper and Channel 5 presenter Matthew Wright.
Sue Killen, chief executive of St John Ambulance, said: “This year’s finalists have some truly remarkable stories to tell.
“It is wonderful to be able to recognise the Everyday Heroes who are saving lives and encouraging others to do the same and I hope they inspire others to learn first aid so they too can be the difference between life and death.
“We can’t wait to welcome these deserving nominees on the evening and show our appreciation for their selfless efforts.”
