Former dinner lady at Dewsbury high school inspired to teach CPR after first-hand family experience

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust will be visiting 11 high schools in North Kirklees today, Friday, October 14, as part of Restart a Heart Day - with Michelle amongst a team of staff and volunteers attending Thornhill Community Academy where they will teach pupils the life-saving techniques of CPR.

Michelle’s mum survived a cardiac arrest in hospital aged 66 and another family member, who was 39 at the time, was saved when his wife did CPR after he collapsed at home.

“My mum has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and had only been in hospital for a couple of hours when she had her cardiac arrest,” recalled Michelle, who worked at Thornhill Community Academy as a dinner lady before she joined NHS 111 in Wakefield in 2015.

“Had it happened earlier in the day she would have been at home with my dad and I really don’t think the outcome would have been the same.

“My other family member was only 39 when he had his cardiac arrest with no real warning; luckily his wife was there to start CPR and he survived.

“I have since taught all my family members CPR and I find it really rewarding to go into local schools and give students the training they need to save a life. You just don’t know when you might need to use it.”

The Mayor and Mayoress of Kirklees, Councillor Masood Ahmed and his daughter, Iram Ahmed, will also be visiting the school to see the CPR training in action.

Councillor Ahmed said: “It is great to see these invaluable life-saving skills being taught to our students here in Kirklees.

“You never know when they might be needed, and a cardiac arrest could happen to somebody when you least expect it.

“I would encourage schools to sign up to the Restart a Heart campaign as the skills can make a difference and save somebody’s life.”