Hollie’s heroics help save stranger on morning commute
When Hollie Page left home for her usual morning journey to St Bartholomew’s Hospital, she had no idea that before she even arrived at work, she would play a crucial role in saving a man’s life.
Just before Christmas, 54‑year‑old Spencer Stevenson, a structural engineering technician from Dagenham, collapsed on the concourse at Liverpool Street Station. Without warning, he went into sudden cardiac arrest. His heart flatlined. Within seconds, strangers rushed to help.
“He had no pulse”
Hollie, a cardiac physiologist who has worked at Barts for seven years, saw a crowd forming and instinctively stepped in.
“There was a gentleman lying on the floor,” she recalls.
“When I checked him, he had no pulse. Three other people were already helping: an NHS surgeon, an off‑duty police officer, and a member of station staff. We all went straight into resus mode.”
For Hollie, CPR is a core part of her profession.
“CPR is a big part of the work I do,” she says. “We’re involved in a lot of resuscitation in hospital. You go into autopilot. Your training kicks in.”
Working together, Hollie and the bystanders began chest compressions. Station staff brought an AED (automated external defibrillator). Between them, they delivered four rounds of CPR and two shocks.
A moment of hope
And then... a pulse.
“We got return of spontaneous circulation,” Hollie says with relief. “He came round and we were able to talk to him. It was an incredible moment.”
Spencer remembers waking up on the cold floor with AED pads on his chest and his shirt cut open.
“By the time the ambulances arrived, these brilliant people had shocked me twice and kick‑started my heart,” he says. “I was awake and well enough to call my wife Karen from the ambulance. Honestly, I felt like I could have gone into work.”
He later learned that he had suffered a full cardiac arrest, an event where fewer than one in ten people in the UK survive outside hospital.
Blue lights to The Royal London
Spencer was rushed to The Royal London Hospital under blue lights and stabilised before being transferred to the Barts Heart Centre at St Bartholomew’s for specialist tests and monitoring. Although he had a known heart condition, there had been no warning that anything like this was likely to happen. He spent ten days in hospital and later had an internal defibrillator fitted.
Determined not to let the experience define him, sports fan Spencer soon focused on his recovery. Shortly afterwards, he managed a family trip to France and is now enjoying cooking again, cycling on his exercise bike, and looking forward to driving again in May.
A reunion to remember
A few days into his stay at St Bartholomew’s, Hollie walked into Spencer’s ward to see him properly for the first time since the station.
“It was amazing to see her,” Spencer says. “I’ve seen her a few times since. I’m massively grateful. Without her — without all of them — I wouldn’t be here.”
Hollie reflects on how different the experience felt compared to her day‑to‑day role.
“My specialism is cardiac rhythm management. Normally I meet patients knowing a lot about their history, and I follow them up long term. Out in the real world, you know nothing, you just act. It’s completely different. But it was such a positive outcome. I’m so pleased for Spencer.”
After saving a man’s life, Hollie still made it into work and delivered a full clinic that same day.
“It was in the back of my mind all day,” she says. “But mostly I just felt grateful: that we were there, that the AED was available, and that it all worked out.”
Spencer’s message
Now recovering, Spencer is using his story to encourage others to act.
“Luck was smiling on me that morning. But we shouldn’t rely on luck. Every office should have at least one AED. If you’re a manager, take five minutes to ask whether your building has one, and make sure your team knows where it is. You might save someone’s life.”
His experience has already led to real change. A defibrillator has now been installed on the wall outside Spencer’s London office. His daughter, Chloe, was inspired too as she persuaded her own company to install one as well.
The power of quick action
What happened at Liverpool Street Station is a powerful reminder of the importance of CPR, defibrillators, and the courage of ordinary people who step forward in extraordinary moments.
Spencer puts it simply: “All the stars aligned that morning. But Hollie is the reason I’m still here.”
Hollie, ever humble, just says: “It’s what we’re trained to do.”
Everyone at Barts Health knows it was much more than that.
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