Russell with his mum Kim

by Jenni Horn

A young man is celebrating his birthday today with the people who saved his life when he suffered heart failure.

Russell Baker, 23, from Chatham, collapsed outside Cafe Moroc in Rochester in April. He had no pulse and had stopped breathing.

He was revived by restaurant owners Harry Smith and Peter Moorcraft.

Today, Russell is returning to the cafe to celebrate his 24th birthday.

Russell was on his way to work when he fell face down outside the cafe in Rochester High Street. Peter saw what happened and immediately called to Harry, a retired nurse, to help.

Harry wasn’t able to give Russell mouth to mouth because of the injuries to his face but he did chest compressions until he started breathing again.

It was later discovered Russell, who worked as a lifeguard, had an undetected heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, which causes the heart to become weakened so it cannot pump blood efficiently.

Russell’s mum Kim said: "Russell had never showed any symptoms. He had always been very active, he was always in the gym."

Russell, a former Rochester Math School pupil, said this week: "I had no symptoms and then I just dropped down dead one day."

He spent six weeks in hospital and underwent surgery to fit a combined pacemaker and defibrillator.

The implant activates when Russell’s heart beat becomes irregular and if it does not stay regular, the defibrillator will give a shock.

Since it was fitted, the defibrillator has had to shock Russell back to life twice.

It means he cannot return to work as a lifeguard at Splashes Leisure Centre in Rainham, a job he has done since he was 16, he cannot drive and he cannot undergo an anaesthetic to repair his jaw which was broken when he fell.

Kim, 55, said: "It has been a complete life change for Russell and it has been very hard.

"But we are so grateful he is still here and able to go back to the cafe to celebrate his birthday, one that he might not have been here for.

"Nothing I can do or say can show how grateful I am to Harry and Peter, how do you thank someone who has saved the life of someone you love?"

Russell wants to raise awareness and funds for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

The charity raises awareness of sudden death syndrome and offers heart screening for young people at 14 to 35.

He is hoping to involve local schools with raising cash to fund heart screening days for pupils.

He said: "I don’t want what happened to me to happen to somebody else. A screening would be able be able to detect a heart problem like mine.

"I am gradually getting better and fundraising and raising awareness is the next step, it is something I really want to do."

Russell added: "I’m so grateful to Harry and Peter. It is strange to think that if it had happened just 15 minutes earlier I would have been in the house on my own and I wouldn’t be here."