https://www.lhch.nhs.uk/news-archive/2017/february/badminton-player-grateful-for-the-save-who-helped-saved-his-life/
A man who collapsed during a badminton game after a heart attack, was thankful to collapse in the same building where staff from Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital were providing cardiac rehabilitation sessions.
Peter Ventre was playing badminton with friends, as he does every week, in the sports hall at Knowsley Leisure Culture Park.
The 63-year-old, from Huyton , was about to take his serve when he began to ‘feel funny with pains in his back’ before collapsing.
He said: “All I remember is playing and I was convinced it was my partner’s serve. He kept telling me it was my serve.
“I ended up collapsing and then waking up in an ambulance where they told me I had a massive heart attack.”
Staff at the leisure centre rushed to help Peter and were supported with immediate expert help from the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital nursing staff.
Lisa Devitt, LHCH cardiovascular disease nurse, who had been running a cardiac rehabilitation programme for patients in the sports centre one of the nurses to care for Peter.
She said: “As soon as we were made aware that Peter had collapsed in another part of the leisure centre, we immediately rushed to help.
“Our years of experience and cardiac training took over as we were able to care for Peter until the paramedics arrived.
Mr Ventre was taken by ambulance for emergency treatment at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.
He said: “I felt really good when I woke up, like a weight had been taken off my shoulders. It was very weird.
“I can’t believe what happened to me, I feel like I have got a second chance and I am so thankful to the lovely amazing people for what they did.”
Lisa added: “After his emergency treatment it was lovely to be able to visit Peter on the ward and see him sitting up and chatting away.”
The Liverpool FC fan is now back at the leisure centre, with the same nurses who saved his life, undertaking a course of cardiac rehabilitation.