Christian Eriksen's Heart Scare Energises Denmark's "Heart Runners"

For Nikolaj Christensen, Danish footballer Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest on the pitch during the Euros was "a shock" that inspired him, and thousands of other Danes, to join the 'heart runners', a volunteer rescue programme. What was supposed to be a fun night of watching football on television on June 12, 2021 turned into a nightmare when Christensen saw Eriksen collapse on the field, lying unconscious for several minutes as the stunned crowd in the Copenhagen stadium and millions of television viewers around the world watched on in horror.

"For Danes, and everyone watching the match, it was a real national trauma", recalls the 24-year-old Christensen.

Thanks to Eriksen's teammates' speedy response -- some of whom were able to provide first aid in the initial moments -- and medics' use of a defibrillator on the pitch, Eriksen was revived and his life was saved, doctors later said.

That was a wake-up call for Christensen, who "also wanted to be able to help", he says.

Launched in 2017, the idea behind the 'heart runners' is simple: draw up a list of first aid volunteers and contact them in case of a cardiac arrest in their vicinity.

No special training is necessary, as all Danes are taught cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at school and again when they pass their driving test.

To sign up, you just need to download an app on your mobile phone and add your name.

More than 2,000 people have signed up after Eriksen's cardiac arrest, including 641 who did so in the minutes and hours after the incident as emotions ran high, compared to the usual 150 or 200 who sign up during a normal week.

The wave of emotion "was an eye opener for the broader public", says Fredrik Folke, a doctor who co-founded the 'heart runners'