A Liverpool consultant cardiac and aortic surgeon has been reunited with a runner whose life he saved after the man suffered cardiac arrest during a training run.
Mr Kenawy performed the life‑saving treatment on Grant Williams after the fitness instructor collapsed while running with friends. Williams suffered two cardiac arrests and was rushed to hospital, where Mr Kenawy’s specialist intervention proved critical to his survival.
Before emergency services arrived, fellow runners had begun CPR and used a nearby public defibrillator, while two off‑duty doctors helped stabilise Williams at the scene. He was then transferred to hospital for urgent cardiac care.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Williams said he had no memory of the incident and only later learned how close he had come to dying. He later appealed publicly to identify and thank everyone involved in saving his life — including the surgeon responsible for his hospital treatment.
“From the CPR and defibrillator to the specialist care I received, every step mattered,” he said. “Mr Kenawy gave me my life back.”
Medical experts say the case highlights how survival from cardiac arrest depends not only on rapid bystander action but also on access to specialist cardiac surgery and treatment.
Williams is now recovering and hopes to return to running, while continuing to raise awareness of the life‑saving importance of defibrillators and specialist cardiac care.
