‘My footballer husband was seconds from death – this everyday miracle saved him’

‘My footballer husband was seconds from death – this everyday miracle saved him’ Nadia Perrier’s husband Michael was a fit and healthy professional footballer before he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in 2021. Faced with losing the father of her unborn child at five months pregnant, one person’s actions changed everything - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments When Nadia Perrier’s phone flashed up with her mother-in-law’s number, she immediately sensed something was badly wrong. At five months pregnant in May 2021, she was making a final trip before the birth to visit family in London before returning to Switzerland, where her husband, Michael, worked as a professional footballer. He was on a day out with his teammates and she hadn’t heard from him for hours, but she hadn’t been worried until that moment. Picking up the phone, she heard his mother “screaming in terror” down the line: “I couldn’t understand what she was saying to me,” she said. “All I asked her was, ‘is he dead?’.” Later, Ms Perrier learned that at 32 years old, her husband had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while on a go-karting day out with his teammates. His foot had slipped onto the accelerator, causing him to crash into a wall before he was pulled from the vehicle and emergency services were called. She was told that he was almost pronounced dead at the scene, unresponsive to the defibrillations given by medics, but that his desperate teammates had begged them to continue, telling them his wife was pregnant. Eventually, they saw a flicker in his throat - enough of a sign of hope to helicopter him to hospital in Lausanne, where he was put into an induced coma. “I think it’s probably the worst news you can ever hear when you’re pregnant,” she said. “I heard something to do with his heart, but I had to put the phone down because I felt like I was going to collapse. I was in a state of panic.” Mr Perrier was given a fewer than three per cent chance of survival by doctors. But miraculously, he did survive - thanks to the life-saving actions of one of his teammates. After he had crashed his go-kart and before the paramedics arrived, one of his team members had pulled Mr Perrier from the car and began performing CPR. Without that knowledge, Ms Perrier said there is no chance her husband would have lived to meet his daughter. Not only that, but Mr Perrier survived without any significant brain damage or other health consequences. He now has a defibrillator fitted and is unable to play football, but otherwise lives a normal, healthy life in London, where the family now live. “His life was saved because that one person knew how to perform CPR,” Ms Perrier said. “It’s genuinely a miracle what we’ve had, not just for him to survive, but him to be who he is. Okay, he can’t play football, but what is that compared to everything else?” The Central London Alliance (CLA), of which Ms Perrier is the director, is now calling on businesses, schools, and communities across London to come together and take part in a life-saving world record attempt for a CPR relay. Held over two days on 22 and 23 September, the relay hopes to recruit 4,000 participants from across London to gain CPR training and take part in the event. The Independent is proudly partnering with the event as its official media partner. “You teach people these skills, and I am convinced people will have to use it at some point in their life,” Ms Perrier said. “My husband’s life was saved because that one person knew how to perform CPR. “Look at that ripple effect of what one person has done for my family,” she added. “I could be in a very different position right now, bringing up my daughter alone as a single parent, and her not having a father from day one. We’re not in that position because one person knew it.” “It is so vital because you’re not just saving someone’s life but you’re saving the condition of their life - the fact my husband knows who I am, could talk, could remember we were pregnant. It’s because of that that the function of his brain was protected.” Anyone interested in taking part is asked to register for the event, that aims not only to make history, but to help save lives. “We will teach you and give you the confidence to do it,” Ms Perrier said. “For me, we’ve had so many people help us through our journey and we want to help other people now. We want what we went through to stand for a good reason.” Businesses, schools, community groups and individuals are all encouraged to register for the event, which takes place on 22 and 23 September at Tower Suites by Blue Orchid Hospitality in London. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments