A YOUTH leader from Halesowen has been named St John Ambulance’s Volunteer of the Year for the West Midlands after saving the life of a stranger.

Heather Griffiths, aged 34, excelled at learning, teaching, practising or supporting first aid to an exemplary level.

The award also recognises an extraordinary individual of any age who goes the extra mile to be the difference between life and death.

Heather is a volunteer and young persons’ service lead at the St John Ambulance unit in Halesowen.

She was nominated for the Volunteer of the Year award after saving the life of a stranger in Brierley Hill last August.

A volunteer with the first aid charity since the age of six, Heather spotted someone sitting on the pavement, looking pale, sweaty and very unwell.

She stopped to see if he was ok and was told that he had been feeling unwell for weeks so she immediately called for an ambulance.

While she was making the call, the patient fell unconscious and collapsed onto the busy road, so with the help of two bystanders, Heather got him back onto the pavement and put him into the recovery position.

By now, he had then stopped breathing and Heather acted without hesitation to get him onto his back and start CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation). She continued until paramedics arrived on the scene and were able to re-start his heart with an automatic external defibrillator (AED). If Heather had not performed CPR, it would have been too late.

The patient spent a week in hospital and is now recovering well after having a stent fitted.

Heather said: ‘I’m just glad I was there to help, and that my years of training with St John Ambulance prepared me to deal with situations like this.’

She added: ‘I am honoured to receive this award. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did without the training and support from my managers and colleagues at Halesowen Unit’.

Steve Hargreaves, regional director for St John Ambulance added: "Heather’s story is the very essence of what St John Ambulance is about – ordinary people doing extraordinary things through first aid.

"We believe that no one should suffer for a lack of first aid, and Heather’s actions prove that first aid really can be the difference between life and death.’