Fall a week ago

[ChrisinNam]

Hi everyone. I really need to tell you all this little story.

Less than a month ago I organised a personal alarm, and fall detector. Hadn't had a fall since childhood, but walking being what it is (non existent almost), I thought it would be wise.

So then last Friday I was coming back into my back door, missed my footing on the step, and down I went, landing on my back. Had a good thick dressing gown on, so it wasn't too cold. The falls detector immediately began vibrating and flashing on my wrist, so I knew something was happening. What I didn't know, though, was that my first responder didn't have her car that day. So anyway, I waited, and waited, and waited. I think probably about twenty minutes. I tried rolling over to get onto my knees, but because of this dratted illness, I didn't have the strength. And THEN! I heard footsteps coming through my gate and down my drive , and around the corner of the house! It was the Openreach man, who had come to get my broadband fixed. But first he picked me up, helped me into the house, and THEN, when we discovered blood running down one leg, he went and got gloves from his vehicle, and stuff from my bathroom, and he cleaned the wound and put a dressing on. How about that, then. I was so VERY grateful to him.

If I'd had to wait for an ambulance, because my first responder didn't have her car that day, it could have been almost an hour. Not funny. But Mike the Openreach man saved the day - at least for me. I think Mike deserves some kind of recognition, but when he came again to check on everything, I tried to thank him again, and he said, it's just what normal people do.

[Koalajane]

so pleased Mike came at the right time. You may have had to wait a lot longer for an ambulance!

[autumnlass]

What a lovely and uplifting tale to read in these times! Mike certainly was guardian Angel 😇. Hope you’re feeling better now as it sounded really horrid. 💐

[PMRpro Ambassador]

How very good of him - yes, it is what people do if they are good-hearted but you never know these days!

You have been checked over since though? It isn't always a good idea to just get someone up off the floor after a fall - you could have damaged your spine.

[Longtimer]

wow, what a story, very bad luck then good luck with open reach man! He could have just called for an ambulance and not done any more. Maybe worth telling his company how good he was. Our area is full of Openreach vans, lots going on. Hope you heal ok.

[Charlie1boy]

What a lovely story. Thanks for posting it.

Paddy

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

What a guardian angel, and please, if you haven't already sing his praises to his superiors. He, and others may think/say it's what normal people do, but not everyone would have...and it was above and beyond the call of duty...

[piglette]

You should tell the local papers,, that is a fantastic story. I am a bit worried about your first responder. Are you paying for this service?

[ChrisinNam in reply to piglette]

Not for my first responder (actually the only one. I don't know any other people in this area well enough to respond to the alarm call, except this friend.) I've told as many people as I can, mainly complete strangers!

[piglette in reply to ChrisinNam]

Fair enough, I thought it might have been some company running it.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to ChrisinNam]

Similar alarms here are provided by the White Cross, a bit like Red Cross in the UK, but they also are heavily involved in providing ambulance services so when you call the alarm, someone from them comes immediately and have a key for getting in. You don't need to identify a first responder but they do have the phone number of you live with someone. They woke me one night because my husband had fallen and I hadn't heard him but for once he had his alarm round his neck!!! They had to come - I couldn't lift him.

[SheffieldJane]

Hurrah for Mike! X

[Bcol]

Lovely story and well done Mike. It's always nice to read a story which restores your faith in humanity. Please do let OpenReach know.

[greengages]

what an uplifting story, thank you for sharing it restores faith in humankind

[Flivoless]

👏Mike

[Hidden]

Always good to read about goodhearted people in this sometimes seemingly hard world of ours. People are forgetting how to help each other. Thank you.

[Suffererc]

well done Mike 😊

[borednow]

Well done Mike the Open Reach Man - I am definitely a fan!! What a lovely person.

[Tiggy70]

Hi, there are some kind, compassionate people out there. One of my friends has a husband with advanced Alzheimers. She was having a battle with her husband over the length of his toe nails. He wouldn’t let her trim them and became aggressive if she tried. The length of his nails were ruining all his socks. A man arrived to check their alarms and security system and noticed my friend’s husband wasn’t wearing any socks and asked why. He then cut and filed his toenails. He said he had a disabled teenage son and was used to cutting his nails. What a star!! My friend has now arranged for a chiropodist to visit regularly.

[Jane424]

I would query the alarm company:

If you were conscious, why didn’t they contact you to check?

Did they speak to your first responder and check they could go to you?

Why didn’t your first responder call an ambulance?

Our service, calls us first, if no reply, they alert first responder and emergency services.

I will now check with them that they actually speak to our first responder. Thank goodness for Mike.

[ChrisinNam in reply to Jane424]

Yes, I was conscious, and I could hear the alarm base inside the house calling me. I was outside the house, unable to move!

They spoke to my friend who is my first responder. It so happened that that day she had no vehicle. The alarm company would have called an ambulance if I hadn't told them about Mike. In fact they probably had already called the emergency services, and then cancelled the call. But it would have taken an ambulance about 45 minutes to get to me. I was so relieved that Mike arrived first.

[Jane424 in reply to ChrisinNam]

Glad it ended well. What about a taxi?

[Poshcards]

I tripped and flew across the conservatory back in april, posible broken shoulder and leg and was told it would be at least 8 hours for an ambulance, so to put my arm in sling and my hubby was told to get me to a and e 10 miles away!