A young Waikato mother who had a cardiac arrest in bed owes her life to a stranger out walking her dog who got pinged by an app to help.
The little-known app Good Sam is used by emergency services around the world. It alerts anyone within 1000m who has training in CPR or defibrillator use.
Chonnell Tihore 36, who has a hereditary heart condition, suffered a cardiac arrest around nine in the morning whilst asleep in her six-year-old son EJ's bedroom.
She said her friend, who was at the other end of the house in the kitchen, heard gurgling noises and: "When he got to me my eyes were rolling back and it sounded like I was choking."
Tihore has no recollection of the ordeal.
Her friend dialled 111 and while the St John call taker guided him through CPR, the Good Sam app was pinged to alert anyone in the vicinity with CPR training.
Off-duty emergency medical technician Nichola Higgins was walking her dog when the app she'd only downloaded a week earlier went off.
"I just opened it up and saw she was literally around the corner from me, so I jumped in my car and raced around there. Her friend was a bit shocked when I walked in. I must have looked [like] a hot mess first thing in the morning!"
The 35-year-old St John officer said she "scooted him out of the way and proceeded to do what I was trained to do".
In an emotional reunion with her on Tuesday, Tihore said: "If it wasn't for her, my son probably wouldn't have a mum right now, he probably would have buried his mum."
Cambridge fire and ambulance crews arrived soon after to offer backup, Higgins insisted it was a "team effort".
"Essentially she looked dead, which is scary. Her poor son was there absolutely beside himself, which was heartbreaking. I was devastated I didn't get to console him at the time," Higgins said.
Hato Hone St John said anyone with the skills to perform CPR or use a defibrillator can sign up for free for the Good Sam app. Using GPS, emergency services use it to ping responders within a kilometre of a suspected cardiac arrest no matter where they are in the world.
Ten thousand Kiwi medical professionals, fire crews and members of the public use the app, but Hato Hone St John would love it to be more.
Cardiac arrests are one of the leading causes of death in New Zealand. On average 2000 people a year suffer a cardiac arrest and statistics show only 25 survive the arrest itself.
"It doesn't cost you anything and it's voluntary, you don't have to attend [an incident] but if you do you could potentially save a life by starting those compressions," Higgins said
Compressions that saved Tihore, whose heart is feeling even more whole now she's thanked the stranger who saved her life.
"She is like a hero to me, she did what any superhero would do and saved my life."
