Meet the Panthers fan who helped save Dragons icon Steve ‘Slippery’ Morris’s life

“You go to the threat, you don’t run the other way.” This is the former policeman-turned cafe owner who helped save the life of rugby league legend Steve Morris.

Steve Morris is recovering after emergency brain surgery.

This is the former policeman turned cafe owner who helped save the life of rugby league legend Steve Morris.

Cameron Thomas, 46, a Penrith Panthers fan, rescued and aided the former St George, NSW and Australian halfback, who suffered a stroke and collapsed last Wednesday.

Around lunchtime, Morris had coffee with son Scott at Thomas’s Central Perk Cafe in Kiama, the pair sitting outside across the road from Hindmarsh Park.

Moments after Scott left, Steve, still finishing his coffee and reading The Daily Telegraph, dropped his keys and, while trying to retrieve them, slumped over his chair.

He was paralysed on the left side of his body, was slurring his words and had lost all feeling in his arm and leg. Two concerned customers ran inside to tell Thomas, an ex-senior constable who owns and runs the cafe.

Fortunately for Morris, Thomas’ cop instincts and training immediately kicked in, stabilising the former rugby league star, taking his vitals, squeezing his hand to determine whether CPR was required, ensuring he was breathing comfortably, telling him not to panic, even helping lift Morris onto an ambulance stretcher.

Morris, 66, the father of ex-NRL champions Josh and Brett, later underwent emergency surgery at Prince of Wales Hospital to remove a clot from his brain. The operation was successful and Morris was discharged from Wollongong Hospital on Monday.

Cameron Thomas, owner of Central Perk Cafe, helped save the life of rugby league legend Steve Morris. Picture: Simon Bullard

Thomas is a south coast hero.

“Steve comes to the cafe pretty much every day. Most of the time it’s in the afternoon where he has a coffee and reads The Daily Telegraph. We have a joke because he’s always trying to find the paper,” Thomas said.

“Last Wednesday, he came in around lunchtime with son, Scott, who lives in the area. Steve had just come back from holidays in Queensland the night before so he’d come in chirping and telling us how good it was.

“Scott then left and Steve was by himself having coffee. There were two customers out there near Steve and they saw him drop his keys. When he leaned down, it just didn’t look right.

“They then came inside and said: ‘I don’t think one of your customers is feeling well’. As soon as I walked outside, I saw Steve hunched over the chair so I immediately dialled triple-zero.

“The whole police mindset kicked in – it triggers you. I got onto the ambulance and said we had a 66-year male who was conscious and breathing but had complete paralysis down the left side of his body and was slurring his words.

“He lost all sensation in his arm and leg. We stabilised him and I was keeping him calm and checking his vitals.

“I grabbed his hand on the side of his body that he was paralysed and asked him to squeeze my hand. I knew then he had no sensation down the whole side. It was vital that we got to him at that time.

“Originally, you could tell it was in his face but after that I knew he wasn’t getting any motion or movement through his left side.

“I was trying to work out what situation he was in because if he was going into a cardiac arrest, we’d have to ramp it up to a CPR or if he was on the ground, put him in a recovery position. I thought it best to stabilise him where he was (on the chair).

“It was interesting because he was none-the-wiser about what was going on. Given where the blood clot was, it wasn’t registering with him that there was something going on. He was trying to tell me he was going home. I said: ‘No, no, stay with me’.

Steve Morris suffered a stroke at the cafe owned by Cameron Thomas. Picture: Picture: Simon Bullard

“He didn’t want me to fuss over him but I told him to stick with me and stay calm. I said not to panic or be scared by the situation, relax with your breathing and not to have too much movement.”

Thomas somehow unlocked Steve’s mobile and immediately rang Scott.

“I told Scott that he better come back quickly because his father was having a medical episode. Having Scott come back reassured Steve,” Thomas said.

“Scott, myself and another customer assisted Steve onto the stretcher and put him into the ambulance and they took him straight to hospital. It only dawned on me when Scott came back the next day how serious it was.”

Even when waiting for the ambulance, Steve joked about The Daily Telegraph.

Morris said to Thomas: “‘You can keep this paper today – don’t say I don’t do anything for you.’ I now owe him a paper when he comes back.

“I haven’t reflected on it but I guess I do feel chuffed. I would expect anyone in my situation to do the same thing. I would do it again, 100 per cent. It’s how you’re trained, you go to the threat, you don’t run the other way,

“With my cop background, I have been in those scenarios before so it becomes muscle memory and you know what you need to do. It was assistance from everyone that helped.”

In a text to this masthead on Tuesday, Josh wrote: “He was discharged on Monday so he’s home now which is great. No driving for the next month and he’ll have another check-up then so, yeah, it’s going well mate.”

Thomas was a senior constable who started at Marrickville, relocated to Sutherland before ending his police tenure six years later at Cronulla. He bought the cafe a year ago.

Steve Morris was rushed to hospital for an operation to remove a clot from his brain.

DRAGONS LEGEND RECOVERING AFTER STROKE

- Phil Rothfield

St George legend Steve “Slippery” Morris is recovering in hospital after emergency brain surgery.

The 66-year-old former NSW and Australian half was rushed from his home in Kiama on the NSW south coast to Prince of Wales Hospital for an operation to remove a clot from his brain.

He had been having a coffee with friends on Wednesday morning when he suffered a stroke and collapsed to the ground.

The coffee shop owner provided first aid and rang triple-0 for an ambulance.

His quick action probably saved Morris’ life.

He is now sitting up in his hospital bed and cracking jokes with the nurses.

Surgeons operated to remove the clot next to his brain and put in a stent to clear the blood vessel.

Morris’ son Josh, the former NRL centre, says his dad is lucky to have survived.

Steve Morris – pictured with his son Brett – is recovering after suffering a stroke.

“It could have been a whole lot worse,” he said.

“Lucky we got him up to Prince of Wales in time. It looked really bad at first but it looks like he’s made a remarkable recovery.

“They did a scan and found a pretty substantial clot on his brain. They removed it in surgery.

“We visited him that night and he was sitting up and chatting.”

The good news is he’s expected to make a full recovery.

Josh has thanked those he helped save his dad’s life.

“I’d like to thank the people that helped him at Central Perk cafe in Kiama, our paramedics who are amazing and all the doctors and staff at both Wollongong and Prince of Wales hospitals.

“Dad obviously doesn’t like people making a fuss of him — that’s the person he is — but he’s certainly overwhelmed with all the well wishes he’s received.”

Doctors are unsure if the stroke could have been football related — however it is unlikely.

Slippery played 247 first grade games — 187 at St George then 60 for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters. He also played 19 games in England for Leeds.

Originally published as Meet the Panthers fan who helped save Dragons icon Steve ‘Slippery’ Morris’s life