Father Saves Daughter’s Life with CPR After Cardiac Arrest

A 21-year-old woman experienced a cardiac arrest while watching television at home, but her father’s recent CPR training proved crucial in saving her life. Olivia Pitfield, a student from Cobham, Surrey, suddenly fell ill while sitting on the couch, prompting an urgent response from her father, Gary Pitfield.

Just days before this alarming incident, Gary, 55, had completed a CPR refresher course with St John Ambulance. When his wife, Karen, rushed into the garden, shouting that Olivia was unresponsive, Gary immediately sprang into action. He ran inside, checked for a pulse, and quickly moved Olivia from the chair to the floor.

While Karen called emergency services, Gary began performing chest compressions as he had been trained. “Olivia was sitting in a chair in the living room not moving,” he recalled. “It was just a few days after my first aid refresher course, so all my training was at the forefront of my mind.”

According to Gary, Olivia had aspirated food into her lungs, complicating her condition. He continued CPR until paramedics arrived with a defibrillator approximately eight minutes later. “It felt like ages until the ambulance came, but my adrenaline kept me going,” he added.

Despite Gary’s rapid response, the situation remained critical. Olivia began breathing again but experienced a distressing period of inconsistent breathing even after the defibrillator was used. She suffered a severe lung injury due to the aspiration incident and fell into a coma for three weeks. After receiving an internal defibrillator, she has since made a full recovery.

Reflecting on her experience, now 25, Olivia remembers little from the incident but often expresses gratitude for her parents’ prompt actions. “When I woke up in hospital, I saw my mum and dad, and they told me everything that had happened,” she stated. “I felt sad and happy: sad they’d had to go through it all but happy that I was okay.”

Her recovery journey involved significant mental and physical challenges. Olivia, who now works as a stable groom, had to gradually rebuild her strength. “Watching all my friends carry on without me took quite a toll,” she said.

The Pitfield family emphasizes the importance of knowing first aid, advocating for others to take CPR courses. In light of their experience, they are supporting Save a Life September, a campaign by St John Ambulance aiming to teach essential first aid skills to 300,000 people. New research by the charity indicates that while 84 percent of people would do anything for their loved ones, 42 percent have never taken a first aid course.

“My dad’s always been on top of his first aid because of his job,” Olivia noted. “It’s so important to know first aid as it can be used anywhere at any time. It’s taught me to be thankful for who’s around you.”

Gary echoed this sentiment, stating, “Everyone should know basic CPR. It saves lives. I just did what I had to do, but I’ll remember every minute of it.” The Pitfields’ story serves as a powerful reminder of the life-saving impact that first aid training can have in critical situations.