London cabbie brought back to life by defibrillator raises thousands to save others
Saved By A Shock
Paul White, a 64-year-old London black cab driver, nearly died after suffering cardiac arrest during a martial arts class. His heart stopped for 20 minutes before paramedics from Wimbledon Ambulance Station revived him using a defibrillator — a device that shocked his heart back to life.
From Survivor to Fundraiser
Since his miraculous recovery, Paul and his wife Paula have raised over £1,000 with friends and neighbours. They took part in the London Ambulance Charity’s first-ever London Life Hike, a fundraiser that’s already banked over £33,000. The money will fund the London Heart Starters campaign, installing lifesaving defibrillators in the capital’s most deprived areas, where survival rates are lowest.
“If it wasn’t for their help and the use of a defibrillator, it would have been a very different outcome. I’m really fortunate that I’m still alive and didn’t suffer brain damage,” Paul said.
Life After the Cab
Paul drove a black cab for 25 years but now accepts he can’t return to work. Still, he joked, “I’ve retained the Knowledge that cabbies need, so I’ll always be a cab driver at heart.” Paula praised the ambulance crew’s efforts, saying, “Defibrillators and chest compressions do work, and Paul is living proof. They shocked him eight times, and now I have my husband back.”
‘Defibrillator Deserts’ Put Lives at Risk
Research from the London Ambulance Service reveals serious gaps in defibrillator coverage across the city, particularly in deprived neighbourhoods where cardiac arrest survival rates are lowest. These “defibrillator deserts” leave many without critical emergency aid.
Paul’s story mirrors that of West Sussex survivor Steve Morris, who also survived cardiac arrest and helped fund 17 defibrillators for his community—reportedly saving at least three lives so far.
Want to help save lives? Learn more about the London Heart Starters campaign and how you can chip in at the London Ambulance Charity’s website.
