Louie Shields spent four days in an induced coma after his mum frantically performed CPR on him while he was clinically dead
A footballer who was dead for 25 MINUTES after a heart attack in his sleep has made a miraculous recovery.
Lucky Louie Shields, 23, from Blackpool, suffered a cardiac arrest when he was in bed and needed urgent CPR from his mum.
Terrified girlfriend, Kirsten Jones, 21, immediately dialled 999 as mum, Karen McAuley, 51, desperately battled to save her son's life by giving him the emergency treatment.
He was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where doctors said he had been clinically dead for 25 minutes before being placed on a life support machine.
Louie, who plays for Poulton FC and works in a gym, spent four days in an induced coma before being released from hospital three weeks later.
He said: "I don't have any memory of what actually happened - it's all a complete blur to me. I had a fit at about two in the morning and my girlfriend woke up as I started shaking.
"She raced downstairs to get my mum who came up to my room and had to give me CPR while Kirsten called for an ambulance. My whole body had turned blue and no matter how hard my mum tried she couldn't resuscitate me.
"Paramedics were giving me CPR in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and by the time I arrive I had been dead for nearly half an hour. It's incredible that I'm alive - my mum, girlfriend and paramedics were incredible."
His petrified relatives were asked by doctors if Louie had taken any drugs before the fit as they were unable to find the cause of the problem.
But doctors later discovered that Louie was born with an extra pathway between the upper and lower chambers of his heart.
He said: "They we're struggling to find out why I had the fit but they eventually found out it was something I was born with. Doctors has to ask my mum if I had been drinking or if I had taken any drugs that could have made me ill.
"But they apologised to my mum when they knew the condition was something I was born with. I'm just glad to have survived the whole thing and be able to be with my family and friends again.
"I definitely appreciate things a lot more now. I feel incredibly lucky to be alive, let alone to be back in work and playing football again."
Former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest during an F.A. Cup tie against Tottenham in March 2012.
The 26-year-old received lengthy treatment on the pitch before being rushed to hospital as the match was abandoned by referee Howard Webb.
Doctors said his heart had stopped for 78 minutes but he survived after months of hospital treatment. He announced his retirement from professional football in August 2012 after taking advice from medics.
Fitness-mad Louie has raised £4,000 for the Lancashire Cardiac Centre by hosting a black tie ball in Blackpool.
Kathy Ancell, head of fundraising at Blue Skies Hospitals Fund, said: "We are delighted to hear that Louie has recovered so well.
"We are extremely grateful to him for organising a black tie event to support the Heart of Gold Charitable Fund. It is great that he wants to support the charity in lieu of the excellent treatment he received and funds raised will benefit future patients."
