Wife’s actions saves man’s life after three heart attacks

When Brenley Milsom experienced “a lump in his throat,” serious nausea and vomiting, he planned to drive himself to hospital, but his wife felt something more serious was at play, and what she did next, paramedics say, saved the 78-year-old’s life.

Brenley Milsom was brought back three times after suffering repeated cardiac arrests, and likely only survived due to the persistence of his wife Suzanne who recognised the appropriate time to call Triple-0. 

Mr Milsom had initially spoken with Mrs Milsom about the pair driving to hospital after he experienced “a lump in his throat,” serious nausea and vomiting.

It was Mrs Milsom, however, that recognised the severity of the situation and called for an ambulance – an act paramedics say saved the 78-year-old’s life.

“She said to me, ‘I think I’m going to call the ambulance,’ and well that was the best decision she’s ever made,” Mr Milson told The Courier-Mail.

Paramedics Tomoaki Shiratsuchi and Annie Reid were at the couple’s Palm Beach home within 30 minutes, and immediately got to work.

“We were looking at the ECG monitor … And then next thing we knew, he was in cardiac arrest,” Mr Shiratsuchi said.

“We had the pads on him and it was all mayhem.”

QAS paramedics Tomoaki Shiratsuchi and Annie Reid with their patient Brenley Milson OM and his wife Suzanne. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Mr Milsom would rearrest a total of three times before he made it to hospital, even telling Mr Shiratsuchi he was “too busy for a heart attack”.

“Once we shocked him the second time, the first thing he said to me was: ‘oh sorry, I dozed off, I don’t know where I went,’ and my response to that was: ‘I know where you were heading … You’re having a massive heart attack,” Mr Shiratsuchi said.

Mr Milsom replied: “Oh no, I’m too busy to be having a heart attack.”

It was Mrs Milsom’s ability to recognise the emergency that saved Mr Milsom, Ms Reid said.

“We know that early defibrillation and early CPR and calling for services like Sue did, is what really led to the ultimate outcome,” she said.

“ … The outcome could have been very different.”

The Milsoms’ story comes as ambulance services across Australia today join forces to issue the community a timely reminder that COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms can often be managed from home.

“Most people with COVID-19 or the flu will not require hospitalisation or serious medical care,” Council of Ambulance Authorities Chief Executive David Waters said, while Queensland Ambulance Service Clinical Director Tony Hucker said the healthcare system is working extra hard throughout the flu season.

“That’s the primary reason why we need the community to get thinking about when is the right time to call an ambulance,” he said.
“Getting people to call us in the right conditions early, we can actually save lives. But on the other side of that is people ringing us for minor illnesses … those kinds of cases aren’t emergencies.”

Alternatives to phoning for an ambulance are visiting a GP or pharmacy, or calling 13 Health in the event the incident was not an emergency.