AddThis SmartLayers

Heart attack reporter saved by quick-thinking colleagues

A weekly newspaper reporter who suffered a heart attack and stopped breathing had her life saved by quick-thinking colleagues.

Norwich Advertiser reporter Charlotte Dix, who was born with a rare heart defect, collapsed at her desk and began turning blue.

Colleagues Richard Tree and Janice Barker rushed to her side and started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage before print technician Dave Arkwright and security guard Jim Hughes arrived with a defibrillator, which Jim then started to use on Charlotte.

The 25-year-old is now recovering in the coronary care unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Janice said: “Charlotte came back into the office just after 2pm and just before she went to sit down she just fell with a loud thud on the floor. At first we thought she had fallen off her chair and then someone said ‘we need a first aider’.

“She had no heartbeat and was not breathing. We did CPR and we got her heartbeat back and then we lost it a couple of times.

“Richard and I took it in turns to do the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. We did not think she was alive because there was no breath and no heartbeat but we miraculously got her back.

“She was gasping for breath on her own when she left with the ambulance crew.

“Had we not worked on her she would not be here now. It was a big shock to us all.”

Charlotte was placed on a life support machine in the intensive care unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and regained consciousness three days later.

She has now written a letter of thanks to her colleagues at the Archant-owned newspaper.

She said: “I am really thankful to my workmates.

“I have got no memory of what happened. It just feels like a long sleep.

“It was really odd suddenly finding myself in hospital. I can’t remember what the story was I was writing. I have got a complete blank. I don’t know what caused it. It might have been running up four flights of stairs and being a bit over-excited.”

Charlotte’s heart is on the wrong side of her body and she has to take daily medication for it.

She was told she would never be able to have a family due to her heart problems and that giving birth would kill her but, despite the warnings from medical staff, she gave birth to Freddie who is now 20 months old.