Quick-thinking Asda pharmacist helps save colleague's life after spotting heart attack

Our Gloucester store's resident pharmacist Leo Duah-Gyawu leapt into action when his colleague Tracy Beard had a heart attack – and she says his quick-thinking saved her life.

Leo phoned for an ambulance straight away after Tracey registered an extremely high blood pressure reading when she complained to him of pains going down both sides of her neck, arms and round her chest.

Although Tracey just wanted to "go home" she was later told she'd had a heart attack and that medics had found a clot at the bottom of the left side her heart.

Tracey, who's worked at the store for 13 years, said: "If I hadn't seen Leo I probably would have just gone home and had a lie down. I don't know what would have happened then – Leo could have saved my life.

"I've got no words to thank and say how grateful I am to Leo; I really appreciate what he did."

Tracey was at work when she started feeling poorly, but didn't realise how serious it was.

She said: "I was just sat on checkouts when I felt these pains which were really uncomfortable. I really wasn't feeling too good so I thought I'd better go and see Leo."

Paramedics took Tracey to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital where she was told she'd had a heart attack. Doctors also found a clot at the bottom of the left side her heart which she is is taking medication for.

Sixty-year-old Tracey, who has three children and a two-year-old grandson, is now recovering at home after spending two weeks in Cheltenham General Hospital, but is hoping to return to work soon.

She said: "I really miss work. I miss my colleagues and chatting with the customers; I love it. I can't wait to get back."

A modest Leo insisted he was just doing his job and he was pleased that Tracey was now recovering.

He said: "She didn't look good when she came to me, so I did her blood pressure a couple of times and it was very high. I felt that something wasn't quite. She just wanted to go home, but I said 'you're definitely not going home' and called for an ambulance."

Asda's pharmacy superintendent Faisal Tuddy said: "I'm incredibly proud of the work that our pharmacists do and a situation like this just shows how valuable it is to have access to the right health care advice. Pharmacists are like superheroes – they have so much expertise."