He Saves The Day!

Cold caller saves pensioner's life

A cold caller saved a pensioner's life when he rang her while she was having a stroke.

They are one of the biggest sources of irritation for people who find themselves at home during the day.
But for 84-year-old Jessica Robbins a cold caller attempting to sell her solar panels became an unlikely hero when he rang her while she was having a stroke.
Simon Shepherd, 25, who was in the second day of his job at an energy firm in Tamworth, Staffs., called an ambulance for Jessica Robbins when it became clear she was struggling to breathe.
When he rang the pensioner on March 12 Mr Shepherd initially asked how she was “doing today”.
To his shock, Mrs Robbins, who lives on her own, said she believed she had just had a stroke.
“She told me she was lying face down on her living room floor, unable to move,” Mr Shepherd, from Tamworth, said.
“She said she couldn’t breathe properly and I just felt sick. It sounds strange to say but it sounded like she was dying. A lot of people make bizarre things up to get us off the phone but I knew that this was something different.
“She couldn’t breathe properly and sounded panicked – terrified. She told me she couldn’t move and thought she’d had a stroke.
“An elderly woman living on her own is all alone and it’s terrifying circumstances to find yourself in. She’s someone’s mum, someone’s grandma, a neighbour and there was no one to help her.”
Mr Shepherd stayed on the phone to reassure Mrs Robbins before ending the call. He immediately told his manager, Craig Siviter, who dialled 999. He asked for an ambulance to be sent to Mrs Robbins’ house in Walsall, in the West Midlands – around 15 miles from the company’s offices.
Mr Shepherd then called Mrs Robbins again to tell her an ambulance was on its way.
Paramedics entered her flat with the help of a neighbour and found Mrs Robbins lying on the floor. She was taken to hospital - where she made a full recovery.
She said: "I am very grateful to the young man, he was very good with me on the phone, he went above and beyond for me.
"My father had a couple of strokes like this but I've got the feeling back and I've got the young lad to thank for that, and the ambulance service."