Douaa Sultan, a 24-year-old insurance broker from Milton Keynes, saved her father's life just two weeks after completing a St John Ambulance First Aid at Work course.
On September 1, 2024, Douaa’s first aid training was put into action when her father, Hussam, suffered a cardiac arrest at home.
It was a Sunday morning, and after returning from the gym with croissants for the family, Hussam suddenly collapsed while gardening.
The family initially thought the screams they heard from outside were children playing, but after hearing neighbours calling for help, they realised something was wrong.
The neighbours had seen Hussam collapse in the garden and rushed over to alert the family. Fortunately, they happened to be at home that morning after not going to church as usual.
Douaa ran outside to find her father unresponsive and not breathing.
While her neighbour was on the phone to 999, Douaa immediately began CPR. She kept going for around 20 minutes until paramedics arrived, supported by two ambulances and the air ambulance team, who helped at the scene, before Hussam was taken to hospital.
Hussam was discharged from the hospital just 11 days later, on September 12, 2024, and has since made a full recovery.
Douaa is now passionate about encouraging more people to learn first aid and has also encouraged her mother to get trained.
She hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire others to take up training and make a real impact in an emergency.
"I'm naturally a very anxious person but in that terrifying moment, seeing my dad collapsed on the floor, adrenaline took over and thanks to the training I’d done just two weeks before, I knew exactly what to do” says Douaa.
“I couldn't talk about that day for a long time afterwards, it was all too raw, but if sharing our story helps more people take up training and potentially save lives, it will be incredible. It has already encouraged my mum to go on a first aid training course and learn those lifesaving skills for herself."
Her father, Hussam, adds: “I'm so proud of my daughter, not just for saving my life, but inspiring others to follow in her footsteps. I wouldn't be here without her.”
