We will be reporting on lives saved around the world since our first documented life saved here in Singapore.
The 70-year-old retiree – a regular at the centre – was working out in the weight room on the morning of April 4 when he collapsed, tumbling off a piece of equipment.
“I stood up and that was it,” he said.
“The next time I remember anything I was in the ambulance on my way to the hospital.”
But it’s a day that Jackson, the centre’s manager of aquatics and fitness, will never forget.
“I’ll never forget April 4. That date is etched into my mind.”
When she reached Campbell’s side, the man was struggling for breath and, within two minutes, had stopped breathing.
Luckily, help was close at hand. Staff members Sandy Jackson and Colleen Wing had come in early that morning, while nurse Kathy Dreyer had stayed later than usual to add more weight work to her regular workout.
Dreyer began CPR while Wing and Jackson hooked up one of the centre’s four portable defibrillators and began following instructions. The machine advised the women to deliver an electrical shock to kickstart Campbell’s heart.
The heart started, then stopped. Shortly after paramedics arrived, Campbell’s heart began to beat on its own.
“We did what we had to do and it worked,” Jackson said. “He was meant to be with us this Christmas.”
Months after that dramatic April day, Campbell had an emotional reunion at the centre with his three guardian angels.
“I have no doubt I wouldn’t be here otherwise,” said Campbell, speaking from his St. George home on Tuesday. “I’m here today because it (the defibrillator) was there and there were people who knew how to use it.”
“There were lots of hugs,” said Campbell, who presented each woman with a bouquet of flowers and posed for photos.
“He was so grateful,” Jackson said. “He’s a wonderful man, such a nice, gentle soul.”
She’s thrilled to see Campbell back at the centre, again doing his regular workouts. “He looks fabulous.”
“They’re so easy to use,” said Jackson. “There are a lot of people out there who already have basic CPR training and it (the machine) helps you as you go along.”
“We take care of our buildings but we also need to take care of the people in them.”
