Morgan Lovell hero wins national award

Russell, 54, was working on a construction site on Uxbridge Road when his colleague Stephen Headley had a cardiac arrest. Having been an official first aider for Morgan Lovell for 15 years, Russell knew exactly what to do. He dialled 999 and talked to ambulance control, while administering CPR.

After several minutes of providing rescue breaths and chest compressions, another first aider who was elsewhere in the building at the time heard Russell’s cries for help. The two men took turns in giving rounds of CPR for 15 minutes before paramedics arrived with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Stephen survived but suffered brain damage and was unable to walk or talk for a long time afterwards. The incident happened in February 2014 but Stephen has only recently recovered sufficiently to put Russell’s name forward for an Everyday Hero award.

Not only did Russell save Stephen’s life, but he also visited him in hospital, provided support for his partner in the difficult weeks after the incident and arranged transport home for him. As a direct result of Russell’s actions, Morgan Lovell now offers AED training to staff and has made defibrillators available to site teams.

Russell said: “I feel extremely proud to be recognised in this way, particularly after hearing the other inspirational stories at the awards ceremony. It really brings home how important it is to learn first aid and I’ll continue to go out of my way to encourage more people to learn these skills. It was also wonderful to have Stephen there at the ceremony. He’s looking really well and has made a huge amount of progress in the last year.”

Stephen added: “I’m over the moon Russell has won this award and I had a tear in my eye when he took to the stage to accept it. He has done so much for me - I can’t thank him enough. He’s an amazing man; without him I wouldn’t be here today.”

Russell was among 11 winners recognised at the event, which was held at the Grange St Paul’s and hosted by presenter and musician Myleene Klass, and supported by Laerdal Medical - creator of the world famous Resusci Anne.

Colin Allan, managing director of Morgan Lovell’s southern team comments: “It’s fantastic to see Russell achieve this award, and to know that his first aid training and quick thinking helped save Stephen’s life. We have always taken health and safety very seriously, and after the incident we now offer AED training and defibrillators to all staff and sites. Naturally, we hope that nothing like this happens again but it is important to be prepared for such scenarios.”

Sue Killen, CEO at St John Ambulance concluded: “It’s right that we take the time to recognise these truly remarkable people on a national stage as their stories really show the difference first aid can make. They are an inspiration and should all be incredibly proud of their achievements. I’d urge everyone to download the St John Ambulance app, go to our website, or find us on social media - first aid is so easy to learn and it could help you save a life.”