A MUM has told of the moment she used her newly-learnt first aid skills to save her son’s life.

Tammie Wakefield leapt into action when her son Ben lost consciousness after suffering a severe supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) ­— a very fast heart rate.

The 18-year-old had suffered a similar episode in July following complaints of chest pains and vomiting during exercise.

Tammie said: “I did first aid on Ben ­— put him in the recovery position and cleared his airways. I was on the phone to the 999 operator and they were monitoring his breathing and then did something called vagal manoeuvres which slows down the heart rate. At one point he clutched his chest and I think I was seconds away from having to resuscitate him, but luckily at that point paramedics arrived.

“It was horrific. I was just trying to keep calm and just went in to some sort of mode. I’ve never been like that before.”

Ben was taken North Manchester Hospital for tests, before have a procedure done on his heart.

He was diagnosed with Wolff Parkinson White syndrome, meaning he has an extra electrical pathway in his heart.

Tammie, who works at Asda in Radcliffe, had completed an intense emergency first aid course at the nearby Bury store last year.

She has previously had to administer first aid to customers in store.

She added: “If I hadn’t have done my first aid training I would have really panicked on that day with Ben. I wouldn’t have been able to cope. I was keeping it together with the adrenalin, but when he got to hospital I just broke down.

“I wanted to do the first aid course as I’m interested in that sort of thing and I do watch a lot of medical programmes. I thought it would be something that would benefit both my family and customers at the store the same time. I just thought it would be a good thing to do.”

Ben said: “I don’t remember much of that day at all really. All I remember is my heart beating out of my chest and I thought it would explode, and I couldn’t breathe.

“I remember my mum being there at the start of my episode and helping me trying vagal manoeuvres to bring me out of the SVT. After that I have no recollection. I came round in the ambulance disorientated and not knowing what had happened.

“The paramedics had to tell me what happened and what my mum did. All I know is that first-aid training is essential to everyone and if my mum had not had the opportunity to go on the course provided by Asda there could have been a different outcome.”

“First-aid training can be a matter of life and death and I am forever grateful to everyone that played a part in helping me."