“We were having a family BBQ that day, I was in the garden cooking and Jacob was chatting to family in the kitchen. He remembers feeling strange and was about to tell someone, when he collapsed. All I heard was the sound of a thud, which was the start of Jacob’s collapse and my partner calling for me.”

“I ran into the kitchen to see Jacob on the floor. I believed Jacob was having a seizure as he was conscious and making the most horrific growling noises, his body was extremely rigid and non–responsive. Within seconds he stopped breathing and moved him from the recovery position to on his back and commenced CPR. I guess you could say even though it was my son who needed this emergency treatment, my training just kicked in. My partner Hayley was on the phone to the 999 operator whilst I was doing the compressions on Jacob’s chest. At that point I was emotional but focussed on Jacob and doing what I needed to do for him. The operator at the end of the line was telling me to do what I was already doing so I just carried on. I couldn’t think about it too much, I just needed to do what I was doing to keep Jacob alive.”

“During this time I was aware that all of my family where watching and this included Jacob’s 15–year–old brother who was looking in from the garden. It was pressure that I had never felt before. Jacob regained consciousness for a short time and then stopped breathing again meaning resuming the CPR. Just as he started breathing again the land ambulance crew arrived which was within about five minutes of him going down and began treating Jacob. It was hard to watch as they got out their equipment and used the defibrillator twice. The Thames Valley Air Ambulance were crew right behind them, seeing them walk through the door was a huge relief. They were cool and calm and kept those of us around them cool and calm in what was the worst situation we had been in. They worked together to keep Jacob alive and then once he was stable enough, to get him to hospital.”

“We were so lucky that day, lucky that Jacob was in the kitchen and not upstairs playing his Play–station as he often is, and lucky that Thames Valley Air Ambulance were there so quickly to save his life. As a family we are eternally grateful for them saving Jacob’s life.”