AN Okehampton man who suffered a stroke last month is hoping to find the paramedic crew who treated him so he can thank them in person for their actions that saved his life.

Paul Galley, who lives on Oaklands Drive, was watching tennis on the television at home on July 7 when he started to feel sick. He went outside for some fresh air and initially thought no more of it, walking down to the Co-op store in Okehampton to get some milk.

When in the store, Mr Galley realised something more serious was wrong when he could not find the words to talk to the cashier at the till. Seeing his reflection in a mirror confirmed to him something was wrong and he rushed home with his dog.

Upon getting home he called an ambulance. He passed out for several minutes and woke up alone. He managed to make a second phone call to his best friend who was in Waitrose at the time.

The ambulance crew and Mr Galley’s friend arrived at roughly the same time and he managed to communicate to them through blinking.

During the journey to the hospital, Mr Galley needed resuscitating. He told the Times he could ‘still hear’ the ambulance crew resuscitating him and that he felt a feeling of warmth after being shocked with the defibrillator. He added that the two paramedics who treated him did an amazing job and saved his life.

Mr Galley is so grateful to them for their work he is desperate to meet them again and thank them for their efforts during the incident.

He also said he wanted people in the area to be more aware of the signs of a stroke as he felt that had the staff in the Co-op realised what was happening to him, he could have received vital treatment sooner which may have have lessened the after-effects of his stroke.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. It happens suddenly and can cause immediate loss of feeling and weakness, usually on one side of the body. It can also affect speech, vision, memory and emotions.

Strokes are the third most common cause of death in the UK and the leading cause of severe disability. Spotting the symptoms as quickly as possible is vital to the treatment of a stroke.

Medical professionals recommend using the ‘FAST - Face, Arms, Speech, Time’ test to try and ascertain if you or someone you are with is having a stroke. This includes looking at the face, where there may be facial weakness and the mouth or eye may droop down on one side. A person having a stroke will not be able to raise both arms and hold them there. They may also have slurred speech or find it difficult to remember the names of common objects — symptoms that Mr Galley experienced during his stroke. If one or more of these symptoms occurs it is time to call 999 and get vital emergency help straight away.

Mr Galley has been trying to get in touch with the ambulance crew who saved his life and thank them personally for their actions. So far he has struggled to get anywhere but is hoping someone who can help put him in touch with the crew will get in touch.

To contact Mr Galley you can call 07919 832462 or e-mail the Times office at [email protected]