Adrian Brooking, 55, from Clifton, Nottingham, stopped breathing and his wife feared he had died after discovering him 'stone cold and rock hard' in bed. The father had been managing type 1 diabetes since 1984 and switched to an Omnipod 5 insulin pump six years ago. The device had worked flawlessly until the early hours of April 30, when his wife Julie, 49, awoke to find him unconscious, completely cold and unresponsive.
Malfunction causes life-threatening hypoglycemia
An ambulance was called as Julie and their son Oliver, 28, attempted resuscitation. At the hospital, doctors discovered that the glucose monitor and insulin pump system had malfunctioned, delivering a substantial amount of insulin when his blood sugar was already dangerously low. His blood sugar level had plummeted to 0.8 mmol/L — a level described as 'not compatible with life.' A normal range is between 4 and 7 mmol/L.
Julie, Adrian's full-time carer, said: 'Luckily enough, I woke up when I did because I needed the loo. When I first saw him, he was in a weird position and I joked "what position are you in now, you daft bugger?" Then I realised something wasn't right. I shook him and he was stone cold. I thought I'd lost him, I thought he was already gone.'
Emergency response and resuscitation
The 999 call handler instructed Julie and Oliver to lower Adrian to the floor for chest compressions after failing to detect a heartbeat. Struggling to move him, Oliver used a 'bear hug' technique, which caused Adrian to gasp and regain semi-consciousness. Paramedics arrived and administered glucose before rushing him to Queen's Medical Centre.
Adrian recalled: 'All I remember was seeing three faces above me and knowing I was in a situation I shouldn't be in. They were the faces of my wife, son and one of the paramedics. Then I saw a metal lamp, which must have been in the back of the ambulance, and the feeling of going up a ramp, then I woke in resus.'
Hospital treatment and aftermath
At the hospital, Adrian received glucose and insulin to stabilise his blood sugar, along with a saline drip for severe dehydration and antibiotics to prevent sepsis. He was discharged after two days but continues to recover two months later. The episode left him with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, and he now takes tablets and blood thinners.
Doctors told Adrian he was 'the luckiest man in here, you shouldn't be alive.' He added: 'I don't remember hardly anything that happened, just glimpses. It was worse for my wife and son, something life-changing that they will never forget.'
Manufacturer investigation
The Omnipod 5 pump is under investigation by manufacturer Insulet. A spokesperson said: 'We are deeply concerned to hear about Mr Brooking's experience and are grateful he received urgent medical help. We understand how much people rely on Omnipod every day to help manage their diabetes and we take any report of an adverse event extremely seriously. Our Customer Care team has been in contact with Mr Brooking and we are actively reviewing the report through our established post-market monitoring processes.'
Adrian hopes to be reunited with the paramedics who saved his life. Julie now naturally wakes at 3am to check on him, saying: 'You have to move on with life, but I would never want to go through something like that again.'
