WHEN Ron Thatcher danced at his son's wedding this year his wife Janet had an extra special reason to feel proud.

For just months earlier she had saved his life after he suffered a heart attack — thanks to the calming influence of a 999 call handler.

Former teacher Mrs Thatcher had heard her husband collapse with a loud bump in the early hours of the morning after he had earlier complained of what he thought was indigestion.

She found her husband on the floor and immediately called 999 and spoke to emergency medical dispatcher Sara McDonnell.

Mrs Thatcher said: “I was absolutely frantic but the call was answered so quickly by this marvellously calm voice where not one word was wasted and she talked and guided me through performing CPR.

“I had done some first aid and CPR training before as I am a retired teacher, however it’s all slightly different when it’s your husband.

"To have that reassuring voice on the line really helped me focus on what needed to be done.

“I had lost track of time of how long I was doing the compressions, but just as I was feeling that I couldn’t go on much longer there was a knock at the door and the paramedic arrived and took over.”

Mr Thatcher was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital and then onto Manchester Royal Infirmary and following surgery he is now on the road to recovery.

Mrs Thatcher has since spoken of her joy at seeing her husband dance at their son’s wedding.

She said: “We recently attended a ceilidh to celebrate our son’s wedding and I know that all family weddings are special, but this one was particularly so as without the excellent service from Sara and the paramedics my husband would not have survived to attend the celebrations.”

It is not often that dispatchers get to find out what happens to their callers after they hang up but — the Thatchers got in touch with the North West Ambulance Service and met with Miss McDonnell to thank her in person for helping them.

Miss McDonnell said: “It’s great to feel appreciated and that I was able to make a difference to help Janet and Ron that evening but it’s just part of my everyday job.

"It was lovely to meet them both and to find out that Ron is now making a full recovery.”