Daughter, 3, learns life-saving CPR to help dad

A woman from Devon who saved her husband's life with emergency CPR is teaching her three-year-old daughter the procedure.

Krystalla Panayi-Davidson, who was eight months pregnant at the time, saved her partner Lee's life when he had a cardiac arrest in 2021.

The British Heart Foundation said the fear of causing injury is a major reason why some couples hesitate to perform CPR on their partners during emergencies.

"If you learn CPR you could be the one responsible for giving someone the rest of their life back", Mrs Panayi-Davidson said.

Recalling the incident, she said she was worried of breaking her husband's ribs but knew she needed to be "quite forceful" to be effective.

As a primary school teacher she was trained in CPR and urged others to learn.

"It's a no brainer for me. Everybody should learn CPR, even if you think you are going to do it wrong, you are probably going to do more good than you will never know", she said.

Mr Panayi-Davidson added: "Thanks to Krystalla's quick delivery, I managed to make a complete recovery which was a miracle in itself".

The couple taught their daughter the procedure using a pillow and how to dial 999 in case she ever needs to help her father.

Mrs Panayi-Davidson said: "She knows what to do if Daddy goes down.

"She knows to ring 999 and she has learnt and recognises the numbers on the phone."

Emily McGrath, a senior cardiac nurse with the British Heart Foundation wants to encourage people "not to worry and to learn CPR as it will help save lives."

"The worst thing you can do when someone is suffering a cardiac arrest is to do nothing, because that person is going to die.

"You may break some ribs but ribs will heal on their own."

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