'˜Miracle man' Neil Davidson raises more than £24,000 for cardiology unit

The money has helped buy new equipment and fund an upgrade to the visitors room on the unit.

Neil’s son Oliver performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on his father when he suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of the night at his Shelf home in 2017 before paramedics revived him with a defibrillator and he was taken to Calderdale Royal Infirmary.

Oliver had learned CPR while he was a pupil at Rishworth School aged 16.

Neil’s fundraising effort saw him organise a golf day at West End Golf Club, a comedy night at Bertie’s in Elland with more than 200 guests, including a table of staff from the cardiology unit, and a CPR training day at Old Brodleians RUFC.

“It’s a great achievement,” he said of his total. “I set out to raise it for the staff on the cardiology unit who did such a fantastic job and saved my life, to give something back to them.

“I spent six weeks in hospital before my cardiac arrest and not once did I hear the staff complain about anything.

“I wanted to help them do their job.

“I have been helped by many personal donations and supported by the business community of Calderdale.

“I’m going to carry on raising awareness of CPR, carry on working with the Resuscitation Council UK, Restart a Heart Day, and continue to educate as many people as I can about CPR training.”

Neil is due to visit Rishworth School in January to educate pupils about CPR, having already done so at Northowram Primary School, Brooksbank School and Lightcliffe Academy.

According to the British Heart Foundation, fewer than eight per cent of people who suffer a cardiac arrest survive.