A PENSIONER was reunited with the heroic paramedics who saved her life after she suffered a heart attack.

Grandmother Marion Parker, 72, of The Chase, Thundersley, started having chest pains while she was home alone.

She looked up her symptoms online after becoming concerned she was having a heart attack, and her worst fears were confirmed.

Mrs Parker said: "At first I thought it was indigestion but it didn’t get any better. My husband had taken my daughter and grandchildren to Lakeside so I was on my own.

“I thought it wasn’t right, so I went on the internet and had a look.

“Luckily for me I was having the conventional symptoms with pains in my chest, into the shoulder, and up the arm. I looked up heart attack and that was it. It was like having an elephant was standing on my chest.

“I phoned my friend who lives down the road and then dialled 999. I sat on the stairs with the door open because I had read somewhere that’s what you should do.

“When something like that is happening you’re caught up in the moment. The pain was getting worse, and I was just hoping the ambulance would arrive soon.”

Paramedic Ian Callow and emergency medical technician Stephen Gardiner, from the East of England Ambulance Service, arrived at her home less than four minutes after she called 999.

The call was coded as a Red two, meaning it is classed as immediately life-threatening.

The ambulance service aims to get to these patients within eight minutes in 75 per cent of cases.

Mrs Parker was rushed to Basildon Hospital, where it emerged a complete blockage of an artery had resulted in a heart attack.

She had a stent put in, and is now on statins, which lower cholesterol.

Mrs Parker said: “When the paramedics asked me my pain level, I didn’t hesitate to say nine. I could have said ten, but I was worried it would get worse.

“It was scary to hear I had a blocked artery but they put a stent in and I’m on statins now.

“If they hadn’t got to me that quickly I don’t think I would be here now, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been.

“I can’t praise the ambulance crew and the hospital enough.”

Mrs Parker has since made a full recovery and met both Ian and Stephen in an emotional reunion this week at Rayleigh ambulance station.

She said: “It was quite emotional to meet them again and when I got there I really thought I would cry but it was lovely to see them and thank them and we had a chat and a cup of tea and they said it was lovely for them as they never get feedback.

“I just can’t praise them all enough, they are my heroes.”

Paramedic Ian Callow said: “It’s wonderful to see Marion under much happier circumstances given how serious her condition was on that day.”