Brave female paramedic stabbed during 999 call-out is back at work despite ‘feeling sick with nerves’

A BRAVE female paramedic has returned to work three months after she was stabbed in the chest while responding to an emergency.

Deena Evans, 39, was knifed in the chest while treating a patient after a 999 call in Wolverhampton on July 6.

Shocking pictures taken at the scene showed Deena bleeding on a stretcher as her colleagues battled to save her life.

She was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where she received treatment for a chest wound as well as nerve damage.

After making an amazing recovery, Deena is now back at work having completed her first shift on Friday.

The heroic emergency worker said: “My recovery is going well. I’m still receiving physio and counselling but it’s helping.”

She said although she still experiences numbness in her arm, it has not interfered with her job so far.

She added: “My first day I was really nervous, I felt sick and felt like I couldn’t breathe but all the staff helped me, and my crew mate always makes me laugh so it was a good shift.”

Deena also hailed the support she has received from the public.

She added: “The public support has been phenomenal, it really has been overwhelming.

“It certainly brings back faith in humanity, and I’m glad to be back doing my job.”

A picture of the beaming paramedic was shared by West Midlands Ambulance Service with the caption: “We spy a familiar face.

“Today was her first day back on the road since the incident, she had crew mate Charlie looking after her.”

After being called to check on the welfare of a man in July, Deena and her colleague Michael Hipgrave, 51, were knifed.

After sustaining an injury to his back, Michael was discharged from hospital that same evening, while Deena was kept in for another two days.

Previously, she detailed how the attack still haunts her “every time I close my eyes”.

“Things take time, physical scars heal but then there’s the mental scars after,” she said.

Deena added: “It’s those things that’ll perhaps take the time and adjusting to what’s happened.

“You close your eyes at night and you relive the whole situation, every time you close your eyes.

“You just can’t get it out your head and it’s getting over that stage, being able to put it to bed, and at the minute, I don’t think I’m there.

She also described how she felt as colleagues rallied to treat her wound: “We do have medical knowledge, so to hear what’s happening to you and not be able to do anything is scary.

“When it happened, what was going through my head, was how are my colleagues feeling?

“Obviously, I’ve spoken to them since and it is really upsetting. They’re our friends. It has been quite difficult for us all.”

She said the Trust had been supporting her and Michael after the incident.

Michael also added: “Physically I’m recovering quite well, still very confused over the incident, not really sure how I’m supposed to feel, it’s still quite a shock.

“We’re getting a lot of support from colleagues, friends and family and general members of the public we’ve never met sending us lots of good wishes.

“It’s been very difficult for my family and I’m sure it has for Deena’s.

“We had quite an emotional meeting with the staff involved, with lots of tears, talking and questions.

“Although we already knew how difficult it would be for them being clinicians ourselves, being friends as well must have made it doubly hard.”

A 52-year-old man has been charged with two counts of wounding.

He has since denied the charged and is due to appear in court for his trial on May next year.