A student who suffered a cardiac arrest while competing in the Cambridge Half Marathon in 2024 and subsequently had a defibrillator implanted at Royal Papworth to protect him from future sudden cardiac arrests, is returning to take on the event again this March.
George Collyer, who is from South London but is an architecture student at Loughborough University, was close to the end of the 13.1-mile course in March 2024 when he collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest.
George Collyer outside Royal Papworth
Dr Greg Mellor, a consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist here at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, was one of three passing runners, all of whom were NHS employees, who stopped to perform life-saving CPR.
“The half marathon was going very well and I was on for a good pace,” explained George back in 2024.
“I was pushing myself hard and I remember feeling really tired. I was about 1km from the finish and then the next thing I remember, I woke up in an ambulance having survived a cardiac arrest.
“I’m lucky that three people with medical expertise were passing as without their swift actions, I might not be here today.”
Thanks to the actions of Dr Mellor and his NHS colleagues – Dr Ben Straughan, anaesthetic registrar and Dr Helen Nuttall, trauma and orthopaedic registrar - in delivering immediate CPR, George’s heart restarted without the need for a defibrillator.
George was initially taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge where he underwent a number of tests. He was then transferred to Royal Papworth Hospital where he had a new type of cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implanted by a catheter laboratory team led by Dr Mellor.
An ICD is a small device about half the size of a mobile phone, traditionally implanted under the skin. It helps protect against sudden cardiac arrest in the future, by delivering lifesaving defibrillation. It can also treat some fast heart rhythms without needing to shock the heart.
Dr Greg Mellor (left) with George
Dr Mellor commented: “I was running the half-marathon with my brother when we came across George on the ground, experiencing a cardiac arrest.
“Instinct just kicked in and between myself and two other NHS colleagues who stopped to help, we started CPR whilst also calling for an ambulance and a defibrillator. Thankfully the CPR was successful in restarting George’s heart.”
“George had no known heart condition and no abnormalities were found as a result of extensive testing, so ultimately we don’t know what happened to him.
“However we do know that up to 25% of individuals who survive an unexplained cardiac arrest will have another arrest within five years.
“Nobody knows what George’s personal risk will be in the future, but we were very open with him and his family that the consequences of another cardiac arrest without the protection of an ICD could be fatal.”
At the time, George said: “I was informed in hospital that Dr Mellor was one of those who had helped resuscitate me. A couple of days later he came in, introduced himself and explained his background. I couldn’t believe it and it feels like fate that he is now overseeing my care.
“From our early discussions it became apparent that an ICD might be an option for me and after discussions with family, it was a fairly straightforward decision.”
George’s procedure took place in a catheter laboratory at Royal Papworth NHS Foundation Trust
George was implanted with the Aurora EV-ICD from Medtronic, the first major development in ICD technology in over 10 years. He followed closely behind the first people in the UK to be fitted with this device, in January 2024, who were also Royal Papworth Hospital patients.
Traditional ICDs require leads (wires) to be placed inside the heart. While these devices are highly effective, the presence of leads can cause long-term complications, including infection.
The Aurora EV-ICD sees the lead placed outside the heart but positioned under the patient’s sternum and close to the heart so it requires less energy. This means the smaller battery lasts several years longer and is also able to provide anti-tachycardia pacing which can be used to treat some fast heart rhythms without the need to shock the heart.
The Aurora EV-ICD is implanted beneath the left armpit with the lead placed outside the heart and veins, under the breastbone. This potentially reduces the risk of injury to the vein or heart which could cause a life-threatening complication.
Dr Mellor continued: “Patients with EV-ICDs have no limitations placed on them in the long-run. We would anticipate and hope for our patients to return to their normal activities, involving exercise, travel, driving or whatever they want to do.
“Of course there are recovery periods after anyone’s operation and depending on people’s underlying heart condition, there may be recommendations to avoid certain activities. However we are very supportive of George going back to running and there are no restrictions. That includes running the Cambridge half marathon again.”
Since recovering, George spent a year working in Canada, on placement from university. Without his EV-ICD he says it would have been much harder to persuade his family to let him go.
Another benefit of the Aurora EV-ICD is its ability to provide remote monitoring that links to George’s device, automatically sending data back to Royal Papworth Hospital. If any anomalies are ever detected in George’s data, NHS teams will be in touch with him immediately.
George said: “I’m aware of my device but it’s not uncomfortable and it never stops me from doing anything. Thanks to the remote monitoring there’s also a real peace of mind that the hospital will get in touch if anything ever comes up again.”
Dr Mellor added: “It was a very unusual situation to be involved at both ends of George’s care. It was unique and a real privilege to be able to do that for him.”
Looking ahead to this Sunday's event, George added: "I’m looking forward to returning to Cambridge this weekend and completing the half marathon.
“Since having the defibrillator implanted I’ve been able to continue running regularly and have finished other half marathons, so I’m confident going into this one.
“I’m feeling fine now, but I know crossing the finish line on Sunday will probably bring a mix of emotions.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all the NHS professionals who helped care for me two years ago. Without their swift actions, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”
If you’re witnessing a cardiac arrest, call 999 immediately and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). You’ll be given instructions whilst you wait for help. Further information on how to perform CPR can be found on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/conditions/first-aid/cpr.