A traumatic encounter with a stranger in distress, led Curo customer and Keynsham town councillor, Caitlin Brennan, on a life-changing and life-saving community mission.
We caught up with Caitlin recently to hear her remarkable story, which began after a night out in September 2023.
“I was on my way home down Somerdale Road, when I saw this guy lying by the side of the road.”
“People have asked me why I went over to help – a young woman on her own on a dark night - I really don’t know the answer, it was just instinctive.”
The man was completely unresponsive. After checking for any medical tags that might help identify what was wrong with him, Caitlin called 999.
“They told me what to do, to check his breathing and then said, ‘he’s in cardiac arrest-you’re going to have to do CPR.’ I screamed for help but was on my own and knew I just had to do my best.”
The response from the emergency services was superb and they were soon on the scene. For Caitlin, who had to perform chest compressions on the man, something she’d never done before, it felt like an agonisingly long wait.
The paramedics who attended, confirmed that Caitlin’s actions had saved the stranger’s life.
For most people, the story might end there, but Caitlin, who coincidentally sits on Keynsham Town Council’s defibrillator working group, was motivated enough by the events of that night to want to install one of the life-saving devices close to the scene.
Defibrillators aren’t cheap, and so began a fundraising mission, which saw Caitlin and others raise £1,300, including by undertaking a sponsored scaling of Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales, which they completed during a yellow weather warning (pictured).
The defibrillator is now in place on the Colen Green estate on Minsmere Road. It will also serve a nearby development under construction that will include Curo-run affordable homes.
Together with the defibrillator is a bleed kit – another life-saving intervention, which can help stem a catastrophic bleed, for instance following a stabbing.
In a further strange twist, two years after the incident and on the day that the new defibrillator was being unveiled, Caitlin bumped into the paramedic who had come to the aid of the stricken man. It transpired they had been neighbours for years. He’s now fully behind Caitlin’s campaign to improve life-saving skills in the community and plans to help train Keynsham residents to use the new equipment.
The events of that night were life-changing for the people involved. Though we’re not sure what happened to the man Caitlin saved - “If I walked past him in the street, I’m not sure I’d recognise him”, she says - the legacy of her actions and gift to the community endure, and could have a profound impact on many more lives yet.
Would you know what to do in Caitlin’s situation? You can find out more about life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques and other training available from St John Ambulance.
The AEDdonate website provides a nationwide map of defibrillators, including the one newly installed by Caitlin. Find your nearest and get information about their use at www.aeddonate.org.uk.