Douaa Sultan, 24, an insurance broker from Bedfordshire, saved her father Hussam's life with CPR just two weeks after learning the skill at a workplace first aid course. Hussam, 54, suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday September 1, 2024, just before he was about to shovel soil in his front garden.
How It Happened
Douaa rushed outside after hearing screams for help. Her neighbour was already on the scene and on the phone to emergency services. Douaa said she was “overtaken by adrenaline” and started performing her newly-acquired CPR skill. Within 25 minutes, three ambulances and one helicopter arrived to take over his urgent medical care, and Hussam was taken to hospital.
Hussam was put into an induced coma and woke up on Tuesday September 3. He discovered he had a broken rib from the CPR and a head injury from hitting the ground when he collapsed. He said his memory of this time is “very weak” but when he found out what his daughter had done, he said he was “deeply grateful” for her “bravery”.
Training to Impress
Douaa started a new job in insurance at the start of summer 2024 and wanted to “gain more skills” to “impress” her manager. When the opportunity to do a St John Ambulance first aid training course came up, she was initially “hesitant” because the office already seemed to have some first aid trainers. At the insistence of her line manager, she signed up and did the two-day course in mid-August 2024.
Douaa learned how to wrap bandages, the acronym DR ABC (danger, response, airways, breathing, circulation), and how to perform CPR. Her trainer said: “I hope you’ll never have to use the CPR, but it’s good to have.”
The Cardiac Arrest
On the day of the incident, Hussam went to the gym early, skipped breakfast, and pushed himself “hard” on a very hot day. His heart rate reached 169 beats per minute on the treadmill, exceeding the maximum recommended heart rate of 168 for a man of 52, according to the British Heart Foundation’s calculator. After driving home, he picked up breakfast and landscaping supplies, then went outside to start work. The last thing he remembers is closing the door behind him.
A neighbour spotted Hussam dropping to the floor, ran over, called emergency services, and shouted for help. Douaa and her mother heard the screams and went outside to find Hussam on the ground.
Performing CPR
Douaa said she was “completely overtaken by adrenaline” and “locked in”. She performed chest compressions, hearing her dad’s ribs crack, which was “horrible” but she knew she had to “do whatever it takes to try and save a life”. When emergency services arrived, she walked away and had “a little cry”.
Hussam was taken to hospital, where there were “very difficult conversations” about his condition. According to the British Heart Foundation, fewer than one in 10 people in the UK survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Hussam was put in an “induced sleep” and when he woke, the “biggest relief” was him answering questions correctly, showing his cognitive function was intact.
Recovery and Gratitude
Hussam was discharged from hospital 11 days later. He learned that his family history puts him at “high risk” of heart issues, as his father and older brother both needed cardiac operations in their 50s. He was encouraged to change his diet, reduce stress, and drink more water. Six months after his cardiac arrest, his wife Boutaina also did first aid training.
Douaa said: “It’s a skill that you have for life. I want everyone to go and sign up… because how often do you do first aid training and then actually save a life?” Hussam said: “I’m deeply grateful to her for her bravery… and to St John Ambulance for what they do for humanity.”
