Leeds mum had to do CPR on her three-year-old son who collapsed and 'went blue within seconds'

He had complained of his stomach hurting, unaware what was actually causing him discomfort was his heart. This would soon become clear, as he collapsed and began to turn blue. “He just collapsed on me and went blue within seconds,” his mum Michelle Fulthorpe told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “I panicked and I was screaming at him to breathe. He said his tummy was hurting but he meant his heart. Being that young, he didn't realise the difference.”

Michelle, from Gipton, was trained in emergency treatment and was able to administer CPR, helping Daniel to come round and take a breath. “I got a bystander to call ambulance,” Michelle explained. “After four heart compressions, he came back round and took a breath, which I was so thankful for. We went straight to A&E and they asked if anyone had listened to his heart before. He had a really loud murmur we'd just missed. At first, they thought it was a leaky valve, so they did keyhole surgery and then established it was much worse.”

Daniel, now aged four, had effectively had a heart attack having been born with a heart condition that had gone undetected. "He needed a full valve transplant, of his aortic valve, they don't know how he made it to three without showing any signs,” Michelle said. “He's a little miracle. They had to fully open up his chest and take his heart out to work on it. I'm so thankful he got a human donor for his aortic valve. He'll still need surgery in the future but not for another 10 to 15 years.”

During the ordeal, Daniel's family were able to rely on support from the Children's Heart Surgery Fund, who helped out both financially and emotionally. Michelle was introduced to a psychologist to help her cope with the situation, meanwhile the family also benefited from help with the cost of travelling to and from hospital and food.

“Whilst we were in there, we were just in massive shock,” Michelle said. “The team at the hospital are absolutely amazing and the Children's Heart Surgery Fund approached us and were a friendly face. They explained the support they could give us, we got a hospital grant and paid for our petrol to get to and from hospital.

"They helped with food too, it gets expensive but their help made the struggle a lot easier. I had full-blown meltdowns because you think the worst and they put me through to a psychologist who talked me through it. A special heart nurse explained everything to me because it is quite complex. They explained it phenomenally. Daniel got his heart surgery and did amazing.”

Last Friday marked Wear Red Day, for which businesses, schools, nurseries, families and individuals are encouraged to wear red and fundraise for the Children's Heart Surgery Fund. Michelle and her family were more than happy to provide the campaign with her backing. "It’s fantastic and it’s needed,” Michelle said. “There are so many children with congenital heart problems and you might not know about it unless it happens to you.”