A volunteer paramedic who helped save a man’s life has been sponsored to buy a state-of-the-art sat nav - after his initially meant he couldn’t find the right address.
Ian and Trudy Wright, from Fakenham, have sponsored Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS) volunteer paramedic Al Moore with a Terrafix, a state-of-the-art sat nav to make sure no one in need is left waiting.
On October 21, 2019, while getting ready for work, Mr Wright, 59, stopped breathing at his home in Fakenham.
Mr Wright lives with multiple sclerosis (MS), and after taking some new medication his neck went into spasm and his windpipe closed.
His wife quickly called 999, and Mr Moore was sent to their home. But he faced problems finding the house, with his sat nav not directing him to the exact address.
Mrs Wright, 48, said speed was a matter of “life and death”.
“When you are waiting for the emergency services, those minutes feel like hours,” she said.
On arrival, NARS and the East of England Ambulance Service attended to Mr Wright, rushing him to hospital.
Mr Moore had been raising money for a Terrafix, a sat nav used by ambulances which gives more precise directions.
He said: “[Some app-based sat navs] will not pick up house names so in a rural area, down a lane, in the dark it becomes a perfect storm.”
Mr and Mrs Wright, who run Wright and Wright Commercials, left the hospital a few days later, and Mr Wright felt back to normal within a week.
When the couple returned home they spoke to their daughter about Mr Moore’s appeal and decided to help.
“We thought it is about time to give something back, and the speed and care offered by NARS and the ambulance service were most reassuring,” Mrs Wright said.
“Sponsoring the Terrafix Unit for Al is a small but effective thank you to him and the service.”
When finding out about the sponsorship, Mr Moore said he was “amazed”.
“Times are hard for everyone and a gesture like this is astounding,” he said. “I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to Wright and Wright for the generous sponsorship of this system.”
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