Mum was in the stands when son's heart stopped

IT STARTED like any normal day for teenager Sam Booth.

- ABBIE WIGHTWICK

The then 16-year-old felt well on the way to play a game of basketball in Liverpool.On court, Sam, who has previously represented Wales in the sport, had just been substituted out of the game. To his teammates' horror he suddenly became unresponsive.

He was having a cardiac arrest and as the gravity of the situation became clear they swung into action. It was Sam's mum Sarah's birthday, and she was in the stands watching when the nightmare unfolded.

Thanks to the quick actions of teammates, coaches and the presence of a defibrillator on court, Sam survived.

Just over a year later, after a month in hospital and initial fears he would need a heart transplant, the teenager is back at school in Llanberis and playing the game he loves.

He says his brush with death has changed his outlook on life and he now wants to seize every opportunity.

"I can’t remember anything from the day. Just what I was told later. The day started like normal and I was fine," recalls Sam. "It was a very intense game but I hadn't felt unwell at all before, or during, the game. I felt fine the whole time. I had never had a moment where I felt unwell."

When Sam went into cardiac arrest CPR was started and a defibrillator used before paramedics arrived. He is all too aware that kit and knowledge is not always available and his outlook could have been far worse.

Rushed to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, the teenager was placed in intensive care, and later transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital for further treatment.

At one point doctors feared he would need a heart transplant. CPR had fractured a rib, which punctured a lung, causing further complications.