August M
A father-of-three from Birmingham says his outlook on life transformed after he was declared clinically dead for 45 minutes during a cardiac arrest.
Doctors made a last-minute decision to try an experimental technique that ultimately brought him back, reports The Mirror.
Cardiac arrest crisis
Sarbjit Singh, now 44, suffered cardiac arrest in November 2020 after contracting coronavirus. He collapsed in hospital and, according to the BBC and Mirror, his heart stopped multiple times.
Clinical death occurs when breathing ceases and the heart no longer pumps blood to vital organs.
“I have no clue where I was,” Sarbjit told the BBC. “All I know is for 45 minutes, my children didn’t have a dad. That’s a scary, scary thought.”
Last resort treatment
Medical staff at Birmingham City Hospital attempted resuscitation for 45 minutes without success and were preparing to pronounce him dead.
Cardiologist Dr Arijit Ghosh then proposed trying double sequential external defibrillation, a method involving two defibrillators placed on the front and back of the patient, delivering shocks in rapid succession at maximum energy.
The hospital described the procedure as a “last resort” attempt to save his life.
“I just couldn’t believe what he’s done for me,” Sarbjit said of his doctor.
Long recovery
After being revived, Sarbjit required surgery to remove a blood clot and was placed in an induced coma due to organ damage.
His wife, Raj Kaur, who was five months pregnant at the time, had previously faced the prospect of arranging his last rites.
Doctors warned he might never walk again. But Sarbjit said determination to return to his children pushed him forward.
“I looked at my legs and I went, ‘you’re going to walk towards your kids’ – that was a driving force for me.”
In 2023, he completed the Wolf Run, an endurance obstacle race in Warwickshire.
“Every moment for me is heightened, life is just amazing for me,” he said. “I’ve got such appreciation for breath and for life and a heartbeat.”
Dr Mark Anderson, chief medical officer at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals, said: “We are pleased that Sarb has recovered following his cardiac arrest in November 2020 and continue to wish him well.”
Sources: Mirror, BBC
