A clubhouse is fundraising to get its own defibrillator installed after a patron suffered a heart attack during a racy performance.
Nigel Lewis was watching a Belvedere Burlesque show at the Weymouth Centenary Club when he collapsed.
The dad-of-one’s heart stopped for a total of 20 minutes and he went into cardiac arrest twice – but thankfully after being rushed to hospital he has since recovered.
Now the club is holding a ‘Nigelesque’ night in tribute to their friend, so they can buy a defibrillator to help anyone else who might have a heart attack there.
Describing the night in question, Nigel’s wife Jill told the Dorset Echo: ‘We were just sat there and then Nige’s head slumped over and, as he is disabled with spinal stenosis, I was saying “you can’t go to sleep now” and then he just wasn’t waking up.
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‘I couldn’t move as he was sat over me and I was desperately looking around for someone.
‘He was fluttering in and out and I was asking for help. People then put him in the recovery position and noticed he wasn’t breathing. Then there were three or four people tag teaming CPR on him.
‘It was surreal. We had three police cars and two ambulances go to the hospital. We were on tenterhooks and he couldn’t breathe on his own without a machine.
‘We had a lot of support from people, the hospital were great and (performers) Ana, Josie and Polly.’
Nigel, 56, says he has no memory of the night at all, nor anything for around two weeks before his heart attack.
He was very excited to hear about the ‘Nigelesque’ night, being held on September 27, where he’ll be able to re-watch the show he can no longer remember.
Nigel added: ‘There was no bright lights or flashing moments – to be honest when I woke I had survivor’s guilt at first and I didn’t believe the doctors as it didn’t happen to someone who is 50-odd.
‘But it was when the doctor’s said that we’d lost you for three to four minutes and almost gave up that is when it hit me.
‘I want to say a big thank you to the staff at Dorset County Hospital and the girls for the night. It’s going to be amazing.’
Ana Defuego has been running the Belvedere Burlesque show since 2016, and set up the fundraiser to buy a defibrillator for the club.
She said: ‘We were all in shock and said we would love to do a charity show, and when Nige pulled through we wanted to have a big party and celebration in his honour.
‘The girls are super excited to try out for a good cause.’
After buying a defibrillator, any leftover funds will be donated to a charity of Nigel’s choosing, Ana said.
To buy advance tickets for the ‘Nigelesque’ show, click here, or to donate to the fundraiser, click here.
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