Bruno Bertoncini lost all memory of a previous stadium tour he had shortly before the medical emergency
A lifelong Tottenham Hotspur fan who had a cardiac arrest shortly after a tour of the stadium has met Spurs legend Ossie Ardiles in an emotional return to the football ground.
Bruno Bertoncini, 64, was having dinner with a friend following a tour of the team’s stadium in North London when his heart stopped beating and he collapsed, erasing all memory of the visit that day.
When Bruno was reunited with the paramedics who saved his life this month and revealed the loss of this cherished memory, London Ambulance Service reached out to the football club. They immediately offered another stadium tour but this time with an introduction to World Cup winner Ossie.
Bruno, who lives in South Tottenham, said: “This has been a really special day for me, particularly meeting Ossie as he’s a player I watched throughout his career. It was also very emotional coming back to do the tour – walking around I couldn’t remember anything from my previous visit.
“Now I have something even more special to remember.”
Ossie Ardiles said: “It was very nice for myself and the club to share this moment with him.
“The paramedics made the day very special as well. I spoke to Bruno throughout the day and he’s very grateful to the people who saved his life.”
Recently Bruno met the London Ambulance Service paramedics who saved his life at a reunion at Friern Barnet Ambulance Station.
Bruno added: “I really wanted to meet the crews and thank them. I can’t speak highly enough of them. Without them I wouldn’t be here today.
“Saying thank you can never be enough and I have nothing but admiration for the ambulance crews who saved my life that day.”
Emergency medical technician Gabi Villar, who was the first to arrive on scene with paramedic Amber Muddle, said: “It was great to meet Bruno and see that he is doing so well. We rarely meet people who have survived a cardiac arrest.”
London Ambulance Service crews – including Gabi and Amber arrived in minutes to resuscitate Bruno using a defibrillator from the ambulance – a life-saving device that restarts the heart.
Last summer the London Ambulance Charity launched a ground-breaking fundraising campaign – known as London Heart Starters – to buy life-saving defibrillators for the communities where they are most needed and improve cardiac arrest survival rates.
Bruno is now donating to the campaign and encouraged Londoners to back the campaign and donate if they could spare money.
He added: “You never know when your loved one might need a defibrillator in a public place. It could make all the difference.”
Mark Faulkner, consultant paramedic and associate clinical director at London Ambulance Service, said: “Bruno is very lucky to have survived thanks to the quick use of a defibrillator. These devices are incredibly easy to operate and people are nearly four times more likely to survive if they have one used on them in time.
“However, our own analysis has found there are large discrepancies between communities in outcomes for cardiac arrest and the availability of life-saving devices. This means that households in more deprived areas are more likely to be in greater need of additional defibrillators.
“If you’re in one of these priority neighbourhoods, please help your neighbours and loved ones by hosting or fundraising for a defibrillator in your community. You can also register to become a London Lifesaver and receive training in CPR and how to use a defibrillator.”
For more information about the London Heart Starters campaign:
Visit londonambulancecharity.co.uk
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