fbpx
Connect with us

Non League

7th tier footballer returns to football after cardiac arrest nearly killed him

7th tier footballer Adam Dodd returns to football after suffering a cardiac arrest which nearly killed him seven months ago.

In an interview with Manchester Evening News, the 29 year old opens up on the worrying moment, which happened as he was in bed at his home.

His girlfriend ended up saving his life when he had a sudden heart attack in bed and has since raised awareness of the crucial importance of CPR she performed for 16 minutes last June.

He went to bed as normal on the 3rd of June but his partner woke suddenly a couple of hours later ‘to the sounds of me in cardiac arrest’.

Paramedic arrived, and made a fourth defibrillator shock before Dodd was put into an ambulance.

At the time, his team prepared to compete for the Fenix Trophy Final in Rimini, Italy, which the English club won.

“Because of the high-quality CPR I received and the amazing care from the NHS, I am making a good recovery and I am waiting for a defibrillator to be fitted before I can return home,” he explained. I am extremely lucky to be alive and I want to raise awareness about the importance of being CPR trained and people knowing about public defibrillators and how to use them because this is what can save someoneā€™s life. I’ve always been a fit lad and looked after myself and would never expect anything like this to happen to me, but that’s how quickly life can be turned upside down.

“I am not going to be able to work, play football or drive for a while and the recovery process will take time, but I am just grateful to be alive. Thank you so much for all the messages of support, it means the world to me and is helping me on my road to recovery.”

After suffering such trauma, he didn’t think he’d be able to play football again, however seven months later, eh was back on the pitch, coming off the bench for FC United of Manchester, with 20 minutes left on the clock, with the game ending in a 2-2 draw at Broadhurst Park.

The moment was made more special as this was his 100th appearance for the club. 1,765 applauded Dodd back on the pitch.

“Eriksen was in the safest place for it to happen. I was in my bedroom, my girlfriend was carrying out CPR for 16 minutes. It was a race against time really. Most people would have written me off and you couldnā€™t blame them,” Dodd told the Manchester Evening News.

After enduring a heart attack last year, he came back around from a coma with no lasting damage, but he had to stay in hospital for three further weeks while also having an ICD (Implantable cardioverter defibrillators) fitted, before then contracting pneumonia.

An ICD detects any life-threatening, rapid heartbeat and if it occurs, sends an electrical shock to the heart. Eriksen has the same device.

“I had to fight for my life again to be honest, it was probably the worst two weeks of my life,” he said. “I was waking up trying to catch my breath, the pain I would describe like youā€™re drowning and being stabbed in the back at the same time. I was waking up in a pool of sweat.”

“They said ā€˜what are your thoughts on going back to footy? Because you canā€™. It just set me free like a bird, I can go and live my life like Iā€™ve always done,” he said when recalling the time he was told he might not be able to continue his career, during a four week check-up after having the ICD fitted.

Dodd also maintained a hope that he’d play football again in the New Year, keeping himself fit, something which doctors claim helped him survive in the first place, and it also meant he had a head start when it came to building up his fitness again.

He adds that whilst in hospital, he lost three stone, had a broken rib and sternum from the CPR, rebuilt muscle mass and let his body recover.

Then he was back at training before being named in the squad for the game against Whitby Town on the 7th of January.

“I donā€™t think itā€™s really sunk in, Iā€™m still focused on getting back to where I was, thatā€™s match fit and my performance levels from where I left off,” said Dodd.

“When I do think about it, Iā€™ve gone from dying, to being given a slim chance of waking up at all, then a slim chance of waking up normal, to getting back on the pitch in six months’ time, itā€™s unbelievable.”

Dodd was inspired by Christian Eriksen, who had a cardiac arrest in the summer of 2021.

“One of the first things I said when I woke up was ā€˜give me what Eriksenā€™s gotā€™. The level heā€™s playing at is obviously a lot higher,” said Dodd.

“If people look me and Eriksen they wouldnā€™t think anything of it. Heā€™s doing it week in and week out in the Premier League and playing some of the best football he ever has done. You can just pick up from where you left off.”

When Dodd came back and made the 100th appearance, he was given with an FC United shirt that had been signed by Eriksen.

“To Adam, don’t ever give up, Christian Eriksen”, was the message left on the shirt, with Eriksen telling FC United manager Neil Reynolds that he would like to meet Dodd once he had made his return.

“The kit man and the gaffer surprised me with it, they got it signed for me then I went to one of the games and they had framed it for me,” said Dodd.

“I think Eriksen did say to the gaffer ā€˜let me know when heā€™s back and Iā€™ll come back and meet himā€™. It would be great to meet and embrace and share the story of what weā€™ve both been through really.”

Related Topics
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in Non League