A Nottingham man who survived a life-threatening diabetic emergency after his wife woke to find him unconscious in bed has been reunited with the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) staff who helped save his life.
In the early hours of 30 April 2026, 55-year-old Adrian Brooking was asleep at home in Clifton when his blood sugar level dropped dangerously low.
Adrian, who has lived with Type 1 diabetes since 1984, was experiencing a severe hypoglycaemic episode. Commonly known as a “hypo”, this is when blood sugar levels fall too low. In Adrian’s case, his blood sugar level had fallen to just 0.8 mmol/L. For context blood sugar levels below 4 mmol/L are considered low, meaning Adrian’s condition had become life-threatening.
His wife, Julie, woke during the night and noticed something was wrong.
She said: “It’s strange because Adrian often ends up in funny positions when he’s asleep and I usually take a photo to show him in the morning.
“I woke up and saw him lying in a position that caught my attention. I reached for my phone to take a picture, but as I looked at him properly, I realised something wasn’t right.
“I tried to wake him up, but he wouldn’t respond. I shook him and called for our son Oliver, who came to help while I rang 999.
“The call taker was so calm. I’d never been in that situation before and I was panicking, trying to explain everything at once. They helped me slow down and focus on what I needed to do.”
As Julie spoke to EMAS Emergency Medical Advisor Will Cook, ambulance resources were sent to the address.
Will said: “I am happy to hear that I’d helped keep Julie calm and supported. It was lovely getting the opportunity to meet her, Adrian, and their son.”
Julie described the moment she got to meet Will Cook, the person who guided her over the phone, as a very special moment.
Paramedic Oliver Bere and his colleagues had just arrived at their ambulance station in Wilford when an urgent request was made over the radio for nearby crews to respond.
Although they had not yet officially started their shift, they immediately made themselves available and began making their way to Adrian.
Oliver said: “When we arrive at station before a shift, we would normally have a drink, get our kit ready and preparing to start the day.
“Because we were the closest crew to Adrian, we logged on and responded straight away.
“In fact, I hadn’t even tied my boot laces when I left station. I ended up doing that when we arrived at Adrian’s house.”
When crews reached Adrian, they found his blood sugar level was critically low.
Oliver added: “Adrian was extremely unwell. We administered glucose directly into his bloodstream to raise his blood sugar level and gradually he became responsive again.
“Had Julie not recognised something was very wrong when she did and called for help, this could have had a very different outcome.”
After receiving treatment from paramedic Oliver Bere, ambulance technician Victoria Moore, and student paramedic Kathryn Cesario, Adrian was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre for further treatment.
Reflecting on the events of that morning, Adrian said: “I check my blood sugar before bed every night and everything appeared stable, so there was no reason to think anything was wrong.
“The first thing I remember is seeing three faces looking at me – my wife, my son, and a woman I’d never met before telling me I was going to be okay.
“It felt like being trapped in a nightmare that I couldn’t get out of.
“The care from the ambulance crew was superb. They spent a long time looking after me and making sure I was stable before taking me to hospital.
“It’s nice to be able to share something positive about the ambulance service because the work they did for me that day was incredible.”
For Julie, the impact of Adrian’s medical emergency has stayed with her long after his discharge from hospital.
She said: “If I hadn’t woken up when I did, I don’t even want to think about what might have happened.
“It’s still something I think about now. I often wake up during the night and check that Adrian is breathing.”
The couple celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary this year and have a special trip planned to mark the occasion.
Julie added: “We’ve got a holiday booked to celebrate our anniversary and my 50th birthday. Moments like this make you realise how precious that time together is.”
Adrian and Julie were reunited with the EMAS staff involved in Adrian’s care at a special event on Thursday 30 July 2026.
Adrian's parents' message for our colleagues
"From Adrian's parents to the excellent ambulance crew who saved our son. We will be forever in your debt. Julie, Oliver, Adrian's twin brother Jeremy and his younger brother David will always remember this incident.
"We, mum and dad (Stuart and Julie) would have loved to shake your hands for saving his life.
"We are a small family, who care very much about one another so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
"Very sincerely: Stuart, Julie and David Brooking."