Chesterfield grandfather reunited with ambulance team which helped save his life

A Chesterfield dad will be able to walk his daughter down the aisle thanks to heroic ambulance staff.
Leonard Lichtveld, with his daughter Tina and the team that worked to save his life - 999 call handler Brodie Bancroft and ambulance crews James Illing, James Farndon, Rebecca Stokes and Ross Wormall.Leonard Lichtveld, with his daughter Tina and the team that worked to save his life - 999 call handler Brodie Bancroft and ambulance crews James Illing, James Farndon, Rebecca Stokes and Ross Wormall.
Leonard Lichtveld, with his daughter Tina and the team that worked to save his life - 999 call handler Brodie Bancroft and ambulance crews James Illing, James Farndon, Rebecca Stokes and Ross Wormall.

Leonard Lichtveld, 70, suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Ashgate last month.

But a quick response and life-saving treatment from East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) personnel mean Leonard will be able to give away his daughter Tina to her fiance Tom at their wedding in April.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On Friday, Leonard was reunited with the team which worked to save his life – 999 call handler Brodie Bancroft and ambulance crews James Illing, James Farndon, Rebecca Stokes and Ross Wormall.

Leonard Lichtveld with his daughter Tina. Picture by Jason Chadwick.Leonard Lichtveld with his daughter Tina. Picture by Jason Chadwick.
Leonard Lichtveld with his daughter Tina. Picture by Jason Chadwick.

Tina and Tom’s children, five-year-old Lily and two-year-old George, were also presented with Laverick bravery awards for for their help during the life-threatening emergency.

Tina, a paramedic for Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), explained that although Tom, also a paramedic for YAS, had begun CPR on Leonard when he collapsed, he needed the EMAS crew and defibrillator to revive his father-in-law.

She said: “We are so overwhelmed and so grateful to the 999 call handler and two ambulance crews. They arrived so quickly. Our wedding day is going to be extra special now. If it wasn’t for the ambulance crew we would be planning a funeral instead.”