MARJORIE Hellings is recovering from a near-fatal heart attack - but she was determined nothing was going to stop her meeting the men who saved her life.

The Risca pensioner spent the days and weeks after her August 22 cardiac arrest wondering who had plucked her from the brink of death.

Now, after tracking down her saviours - paramedic Mike Finiak and emergency medical technician Alan Hodge - she has met them to say "thank you."

"It's a miracle that I am still here today. When my husband Trevor told me that I was gone and then brought back to life, I couldn't believe it," said 78-year-old Mrs Hellings.

"I wanted to see these boys because they gave me back my life. Words cannot express how grateful I am and I just wanted to say thank you to them in person."

Mrs Hellings had no idea where the ambulancemen worked, but it turned out they are based barely two miles away at Bassaleg ambulance station.

Mr Finiak and Mr Hodge had answered a 999 call to the Hellings' Trenewydd Park, Risca, home to find Mrs Hellings, who had complained of chest pains, having difficulty breathing.

The pair treated her in the house before putting her into the ambulance, but on the way to the Royal Gwent Hospital she suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be shocked twice with a defibrillator before her heart was started again.

"I remember bits and pieces, them wheeling me into the ambulance, Mike tapping my face and saying 'come on, Marjorie', and being in resuscitation at the hospital. But it's a bit of a blur really," said Mrs Hellings.

Clot-busting drugs were administered and she spent three weeks at the Royal Gwent before being allowed home.

Mr Finiak, who has worked in the ambulance service for 25 years, said ambulancemen occasionally get letters from grateful patients, but it is rare for someone to go to the trouble of meeting them.

"When you successfully resuscitate someone it's fantastic because that is what we are trained to do," he said.

"We really appreciate that Mrs Hellings has taken the time out to come and visit us.

The Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust's South East Region staff officer Chris Sims said: "It is fair to say that if the crew hadn't acted so quickly, Mrs Hellings wouldn't be here today."