Man raising CPR awareness after saving friend's life

A man who saved his best friend's life after he went into cardiac arrest in the back of his car is fundraising for a defibrillator to be put in his gym.

Helder Barroso, 44, from Leicester, stepped into action when his best friend Amit Sammani, 43, fell ill last month at the city's HB Health Club.

He and Mr Samani's wife administered CPR before paramedics took over - a move credited with helping to save his life.

Mr Barroso said he acted on instinct and now wanted to raise awareness of CPR and preventative health, adding: "Just because you're fit doesn't mean it can't happen to you."

Mr Sammani started feeling unwell about 30 minutes into his session with Mr Barroso at his gym in Ash Road.

His wife, Anisha Sammani, 42, was called and she came to pick him up, but her husband's condition had worsened.

Mrs Sammani was told it would take about an hour for an ambulance to arrive and that it would be quicker for her to drive her husband to A&E herself.

Mr Barroso ended up driving the couple so Mrs Sammani could be in the back with Mr Sammani, but his condition developed into a seizure, and they were advised to park up and begin CPR at a school.

Mr Barroso and Mrs Sammani took it in turns to administer CPR for 15 minutes until paramedics arrived to work on Mr Sammani for about 90 minutes.

He was taken to Glenfield Hospital and placed in an induced coma before waking a few days later, and has since been recovering.

Mr Sammani said without the CPR from Mr Barroso and Mrs Sammani "I'd be dead".

Mrs Sammani said it had been "a long 15 minutes" waiting for paramedics and she had been shaking with shock when they took over.

Her husband said he was told by doctors if he had not been in such good shape, he likely would not have survived, and that the CPR he had received had also helped.

"I already held Helder in a high regard because he helped me get into good shape, but even more so now after this," he said.

Mr Barroso says he does not feel "like a hero in any way shape or form" and now plans to run a marathon for the British Heart Foundation, which is a challenge as he "hates running".

He also plans to undertake a three-day first aid course and add a defibrillator to his gym.

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