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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Ryan Carroll & Craig Williams

Glasgow woman thanks Good Samaritans who 'kept uncle alive' after he collapsed outside coffee shop

A Glasgow woman has thanked a group of Good Samaritans who rushed to her uncle's aid after he collapsed outside a coffee shop in the city.

Donald Davidson took ill outside a Costa Coffee in Anniesland at the weekend, with various passers-by - including baristas and employees in a nearby gym - rushing to the aid of the 84-year-old.

Their heroic actions kept Donald alive long enough to get to hospital, where he sadly passed away a short time later.

His next of kin, Caroline Taylor, says the knowledge that her uncle - a former bus mechanic - wasn't alone after collapsing on the street gave her a lot of comfort.

The 33-year-old told the Daily Record: "It's incredible and so selfless what they did. I got a phone call from police on Saturday night to say my uncle had died after having a heart attack on the street.

"They said he didn't have any ID on him and nobody knew who he was - so I had it in my head that he had just collapsed and died, and that was it.

Then my friend alerted me to a post on social media about the incident so I phoned the lady and she explained everything.

"He had taken unwell outside Costa, so somebody went in and got him a chair and someone came out to help. She also went across to the gym to see if anyone with any medical training could help.

Donald Davidson with Caroline Taylor and little Lucius. (Image: Supplied)

"Two boys from outside the gym came over and one was attempting CPR. "Then a paediatric nurse and an A&E consultant happened to be passing-by and they were helping too - there were so many people there.

"It had initially been my understanding that he had just died on the street - but I have now been told that they actually managed to keep him alive to blue-light him to hospital."

Sadly Donald, who had various health conditions including diabetes and heart problems, later died in hospital, but Caroline says she is forever grateful to those who battled to save his life.

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The nurse said: "The woman told me he was alive and she was talking to him. She said she was with him the whole time, holding his hand and said told me that he had the most beautiful blue eyes.

"That made me feel so comforted, knowing that he wasn't on his own and so many people had been touched and affected by it.

"I was told that someone actually attempted mouth to mouth CPR. Someone was willing to give an old man some breath - which, particularly during covid, was beautiful to hear."

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