AN ASPIRING paramedic who has saved her father’s life four times is urging others to learn basic first aid and know how to handle life threatening situations.

Anna Roberts is a community first responder with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Her father Brian, 69, has complex health needs which have resulted in numerous strokes, heart attacks and cardiac arrests over the last 13 years.

Luckily for Brian, a former steelworker and miner, Anna has always been there to perform CPR and save his life.

Without her intervention, he would not be here today.

Anna, 35, of Carlton, said: “My dad has arterial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat and he has had eight serious strokes and about 300 mini-strokes.

“Every time he had a major stroke, his heart went into failure and we had to bring him back by doing CPR.

“He has no idea what’s going off, but during the process of this happening, he always manages to get hold of me to go up. I asked the doctors and consultants how can he know to phone me when he’s unwell, but no one can understand why. They are just glad he does because if he didn’t he wouldn’t be here today.

“Once he’s come around and I explain what’s happened he starts crying because he can’t believe it’s happened and he doesn’t want to put pressure on me. But I don’t mind doing it.”

Anna said the first time she saved Brian, it was difficult to treat him as a patient, rather than her dad. Now, she puts the emotional connection aside.

“The first time I saved him it did affect me a little bit but I did save him and he’s still here.

“After that, I don’t treat him as my dad, he’s a patient even though he is my dad.

“That’s how I manage to put a mental block on it, it’s the only way I can deal with it.

“No one wants to lose their dad, but if he’s not well and he needs this, he gets treated as a patient and gets the same treatment as other people.

“People can’t understand why I just get on with it. But I’ve had so many years doing it, I know what I’m doing.

“You’ve got to be able to shut it off at some point.

“Everyone who has been dealing with him over the years has said he’s a very lucky man because if I didn’t do what I did then he wouldn’t have been here.

“I feel so happy that I’m able to do that and give him a bit of extra lifetime. While ever I can keep him going, I will keep him going.”

Anna used to work in a nursing home and had basic first aid training. But she said the fantastic care Brian received after his first stroke made her want to give something back. She is also backing Restart a Heart Day next Tuesday and will lead CPR training at Outwood Academy in Shafton.

“Everyone was amazing with him, and they still are now all these years later. It inspired me to continue further and I want to eventually become a paid paramedic. That is my ambition at the moment.

“It’s very important that all secondary school children know how to do basic CPR because no one knows who could need it it could be a friend or family member and if they can save a life, there is an achievement in being able to do that.

“Everyone panics and everyone is scared, but it’s so important that everyone has got that knowledge.”