A WHITEFIELD businessman man who suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest has helped to ensure the borough's Jewish community has access to a life saving defibrillator.

Nigel Walsh, aged 60, who works for stationary and toy company RMS International, suffered the near-fatal cardiac arrest when he travelled down to London to collect one of RMS owner's, Martin Abramson, from his son David's house in Hendon, in June 2017.

He collapsed shortly after arriving at the house becoming unresponsive and stopped breathing with no pulse or signs of life.

David Abramson and his mother Karen quickly began lifesaving CPR and called both the Jewish community ambulance service, Hatzola, and the London Ambulance Service.

A team from Hatzola arrived in seven minutes and after three attempts managed to shock Mr Walsh's heart back into life with a defibrillator.

The London Ambulance Service arrived minutes later and took Mr Walsh to The Royal Free Hospital in Hempstead.

After six weeks in intensive care Mr Walsh was transferred to Fairfield General Hospital, going on to make a full recovery.

Mr Walsh said: "I was picking up the Abramsons who had come over from Tel Aviv, and was supposed to be taking them to a function.

"Six weeks later I remember coming round at Fairfield hospital.

"I didn't even know where I was. I was the Royal Free Hospital for four weeks, and then transferred to Fairfield. It was only then that I discovered what was going on."

Mr Walsh thanked the Abramsons, the Hatzola and the ambulance service adding: "If it wasn't for the Abramsons I wouldn't be here now. It was just my day.

"The Abramsons at the time had not had any medical training when they started doing CPR.

"They had only ever seen it on TV but they did it enough and they did it right enough for when the ambulance turned up.

"With everything that went on I owe them my life."

While in hospital Mr Walsh wanted to show his gratitude to the Jewish community who saved his life and gave Mr Abramson £500.

With further fundraising the donating was topped-up, and the cash was then used to buy a defibrillator, which was given to the Jewish community centre, the Chabad of Whitefield.

The defibrillator was accepted by Rabbi Shmuli Jaffe and dedicated to Karen Abramson's late sister, Shelly Gordon, in a presentation at the Chabad on December 24.

During the presentation Mr. Walsh said: "Without the combination of the Abramson family and Hatzola, there would be no Nigel.

"Without the help of the Jewish community I wouldn’t be here. We need to have these defibrillator machines installed in as many places as possible."

He added: "The defibrillator was David's idea and I was more than happy to go along with that.

"Hopefully it will never need to be used but if it is needed it is there.

"The more defibrillators spread around the better, and it is nice to know that there will be one to help someone else."

Mr Walsh also thanked RMS international and its CEO Tyrone Farber for assistance to his family during the ordeal and his hospitalisation.

Rabbi Shmuli Jaffe said: "North West Ambulance Service have been made aware that we now have a defibrillator on site and we are working closely with Hatzola to train Whitefield community members in CPR and the use of the defibrillator."