‘Miracle man’, 31, came back to life after his heart stopped for 50 minutes and paramedics shocked him 17 times

MIRACLE man Ben Wilson stunned medics when he came back to life - 50 minutes after his heart stopped.

Paramedics shocked him a staggering 17 times in a desperate bid to revive him after he collapsed at home.

They finally got it going again and Ben, 31, was placed in an induced coma for five desperate weeks.

He suffered a string of further heart attacks and girlfriend Rebekka Holmes, 27, was told he wouldn’t make it on nine separate occasions.

But, against all the odds, Ben woke from his coma and has since made a full recovery.

He now refuses to waste any time and is busy planning his wedding to Rebekkah, who credits her love with pulling him back from the brink.

Beaming Ben told The Sun: "I have a second chance at life and I’m going to take it with Rebekka by my side.

"I am so grateful to everybody and for Rebekka being there.

"I don’t know what would have happened to me if she had walked away."

He added: "I have speech and memory issues but I feel strong and well.

"I don’t remember anything of it happening or the early days in hospital, but Becki has filled in the blanks.

"It has made me want to make the most of my second chance.

"I'm getting better every day."

Ben collapsed at the couple's flat in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, last June after a blood clot sparked a massive heart attack.

Incredibly, Rebekkah, a designated first aider at her workplace, had only just completed a refresher course in CPR and was able to jump into action.

She said: "When the paramedics came they said it wasn’t looking good.

"They used a defibrillator to shock him 11 times in 40 minutes before finally getting a heartbeat.

"But when they got him outside in the garden he went again and they shocked him six times in another 10 minutes and brought him back again."

Ben was blue-lighted to Barnsley Hospital before being transferred to the Northern General in nearby Sheffield.

He was immediately whisked into theatre for surgeons to insert a stent to open up his artery.

Ben was put into an induced coma but two days later his brain swelled and Rebekkah was told to prepare for the worst.

He rallied again but on day seven his family were called to his bedside after he suffered multiple heart attacks, one after the other.

In just one day, they were told an astonishing three times he would not make it through the night.

He went on to survive a series of seizures, kidney failure and even another blood clot before eventually waking from his coma.

His first word was "Rebekkah".

She said: "That was a beautiful moment.

"I stayed by his side the whole time, telling him I loved him.

"I sang him our song ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’, sprayed my perfume on his pillow and put a teddy he bought me, saying ‘Love you to the moon and back’ on it, at the side of him.

"I believe my love for him brought him through.

"It is a miracle that he has survived but there are studies that say love and touch can help.

"Ben has always been a hopeless romantic, getting me flowers and cards and I feel I was repaying him for all the love and affection he has shown me over the seven years we have been together.

"We are soul mates."

I have a second chance at life and I’m going to take it with Rebekka by my side

Ben Wilson

After regaining consciousness Ben had to learn how to walk again and spent 12 weeks in a neuropsychiatric rehabilitation centre.

He finally returned home this week - eight and a half months after his heart attack.

Medics remain baffled by the trigger for his heart attack but suspect lack of exercise and diet may have been a contributory factor.

Dr Jennifer Hill, medical director (operations) at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are delighted to hear that Ben is doing well.

"It is testament to the skill of the medical teams here that he has made such good progress, and of course to Ben’s determination and resilience."

Before Ben was discharged from hospital he spent 14 weeks at neuro-rehab clinic Cygnet Health Care Pindar House.

Sam Sherwood, Hospital Manager at Cygnet Health Care Pindar House said: "Ben’s recovery is incredible and all of the staff team are so proud of how far he has come. 

"Our focus here is to create a therapeutic rich environment to engage the men in our care and offer them the opportunity to maximise their independence. 

"We are so happy for Ben and wish him all the very best for his future."