Case Study: Michael and Sabine – “We are so grateful that our son received urgent CPR”

On 16 March 2024, Michael Pryor and Sabine Vandenbroucke’s 17-year-old son Raphaël collapsed while playing sport at his school. Raphaël was fit and healthy, a dedicated sportsman, and had just been awarded his school colours for an upcoming sports game. 

Michael was there to support Raphaël at the game, while Sabine was travelling back from Switzerland after supporting a friend through bereavement. What should have been a joyful day turned to tragedy when Raphaël suddenly collapsed. 

He was attended to almost immediately by several individuals, who worked tirelessly to resuscitate him. A defibrillator arrived shortly after, followed soon by ambulance and air-ambulance crews. Sadly, Raphaël never regained consciousness. He died later that evening in hospital, with Michael and Sabine by his side. Sabine recalls the heartbreaking journey back from Switzerland to reach her husband and son.

Michael and Sabine now urge others to seek CPR training. “We would encourage anyone who gets the chance to take part in CPR training. Resuscitation Council UK have some incredible resources that are free and easy to use - it takes less than 15 minutes to learn how to save a life.” 

They also recognise that, despite best efforts, some people will sadly be beyond saving. But even then, they stress the importance of CPR. “Of course, we think of Raphaël and grieve for him every day, but we do not face the additional torture of wondering what might have been if he had received timely CPR. That may seem like small comfort, but it is really important. For all our deep sadness we know that everything that could have been done for Raphaël was done.” 

They remain deeply grateful to those who responded on the day, adding: “Those that responded were doing much more than trying to save Raphaël. What they did is also helping to save us every day. We will always be grateful to them for that. We would urge everyone to get training - it can be a lifesaver in more ways than the obvious.”

Resuscitation Council UK offers a number of free resources to help the public learn how to perform CPR, giving someone an increased chance of survival if they collapse and stop breathing. Lifesaver is a free interactive CPR training tool that lets you take control of four realistic emergency scenarios. Make critical decisions, learn essential skills, and become ready to act when every second counts.