A St John Ambulance Cymru Commercial Trainer used CPR to save a young girl’s life after responding to a call for help that happened to come from the same Cardiff hotel he was staying in.
Although he lives and works in North Wales, Rory Jones was visiting the capital city to complete an assessment so he could deliver Mental Health First Aid training on behalf of the charity.
As well as working at St John Ambulance Cymru’s Abergele Training Centre, Rory is a Community First Responder and volunteers with the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust. He is also registered with GoodSAM, the UK’s cardiac arrest alerting system, which is how he was notified of the emergency on that morning in December 2023.
Rory was asleep in his hotel when he received the GoodSAM alert at around 5.45am. He quickly got dressed and was making his way out of the hotel when he realised the alert was coming from the same building, on behalf of someone staying on the floor below him.
He said:
“When I got to the room I saw a little girl of about 4 or 5 years old lying on the floor and her parents were on the phone to the Ambulance Service. I assessed her and noticed she wasn’t breathing, so I immediately began CPR and started delivering rescue breaths. Thankfully, after one round of CPR she started breathing again.”
Rory stayed with the girl and her family until the ambulance arrived, reassessing her, putting a duvet around her as she was now able to respond to say she was cold and encouraging her parents to reassure her.
“I completed the assessment with the emergency call handler and although I was confident in what I was doing, it was great to have that reassuring voice on the phone.”
Although Rory left the scene once the ambulance arrived, he has since heard that the girl had returned home safely after a few days in hospital.
Having joined St John Ambulance Cymru in March 2022 with no formal training, Rory is now qualified to train people on a range of different first aid courses, including Paediatric First Aid.
St John Ambulance Cymru Commercial Trainer, Rory Jones.
Rory said:
“It was the first time I’ve performed CPR on a child in a real-life scenario, but within a few days of the incident I was teaching other people how to do it.
“I would recommend this training for anyone who works with or volunteers with children, whether it’s a football club or similar group, as paediatric first aid is a bit different.
“It’s also really important to keep up to date with your qualifications. St John Ambulance Cymru offers refresher courses every three years but some people prefer to complete a refresher every year.”
Rory also highlighted the importance of the GoodSAM alerting system, which had helped him arrive at the scene and administer CPR promptly.
“GoodSAM helps reduce pressure on the ambulance service and is a great first port of call as every minute counts, especially when it comes to cardiac or respiratory arrest. Every minute reduces a child’s chances of survival by 10%.”
Rory also said he had previously responded to one other GoodSAM alert closer to home and had successfully administered CPR to an adult on that occasion.
Rory, who is 26 years old and lives in Llanrwst is hoping to go to University in September to study Paramedic Science.
He added:
“You don’t have to have a PHD in CPR, anyone can learn and I’d encourage anyone that has the relevant training to sign-up to GoodSAM.”
To find out more about the training courses St John Ambulance Cymru visit www.sjacymru.org.uk/training.
To find out more about GoodSAM visit https://www.goodsamapp.org/ukAndEu
Merch ifanc yn cael ei hachub diolch i ymateb cyflym Hyfforddwr St John Ambulance Cymru
Defnyddiodd Hyfforddwr Masnachol St John Ambulance Cymru CPR i achub bywyd merch ifanc ar ôl ymateb i alwad am help a ddigwyddodd i ddod o’r un gwesty yng Nghaerdydd yr oedd yn aros ynddo.
Er ei fod yn byw ac yn gweithio yng Ngogledd Cymru, roedd Rory Jones yn ymweld â'r brifddinas i gwblhau asesiad fel y gallai ddarparu hyfforddiant Cymorth Cyntaf Iechyd Meddwl ar ran yr elusen.
Yn ogystal â gweithio yng Nghanolfan Hyfforddi Abergele St John Ambulance Cymru, mae Rory yn Ymatebwr Cyntaf yn y Gymuned ac yn gwirfoddoli gydag Ymddiriedolaeth GIG Gwasanaethau Ambiwlans Cymru. Mae hefyd wedi cofrestru gyda GoodSAM, system rhybuddio ataliad y galon y DU, a dyna sut y cafodd wybod am yr argyfwng y bore hwnnw ym mis Rhagfyr 2023.
Roedd Rory yn cysgu yn ei westy pan dderbyniodd rybudd GoodSAM tua 5.45yb. Fe wisgodd yn gyflym ac roedd yn gwneud ei ffordd allan o'r gwesty pan sylweddolodd fod y rhybudd yn dod o'r un adeilad, ar ran rhywun a oedd yn aros ar y llawr oddi tano.
Dywedodd:
“Pan gyrhaeddais yr ystafell gwelais ferch fach tua 4 neu 5 oed yn gorwedd ar y llawr ac roedd ei rhieni ar y ffôn i’r Gwasanaeth Ambiwlans. Fe wnes i ei hasesu ac yna sylwais nad oedd hi'n anadlu, felly dechreuais CPR ar unwaith a dechrau rhoi anadliadau achub. Diolch byth, ar ôl un rownd o CPR fe ddechreuodd hi anadlu eto.”
Arhosodd Rory gyda’r ferch a’i theulu nes i’r ambiwlans gyrraedd, gan ei hailasesu, rhoi duvet o’i chwmpas gan ei bod bellach yn gallu ymateb i ddweud ei bod yn oer ac annog ei rhieni i dawelu ei meddwl.
“Cwblheais yr asesiad gyda’r trinwr galwadau argyfwng ac er fy mod yn hyderus yn yr hyn yr oeddwn yn ei wneud, roedd yn wych clywed llais cysurol ar y ffôn.”
Er fe adawodd Rory y lleoliad unwaith i'r ambiwlans gyrraedd, mae wedi clywed ers hynny bod y ferch wedi dychwelyd adref yn ddiogel ar ôl rhai dyddiau yn yr ysbyty.
Ers iddo ymuno â St John Ambulance Cymru ym mis Mawrth 2022 heb unrhyw hyfforddiant ffurfiol, mae Rory bellach yn gymwys i hyfforddi pobl ar ystod o wahanol gyrsiau cymorth cyntaf, gan gynnwys Cymorth Cyntaf Pediatrig.
Dywedodd Rory:
“Dyma’r tro cyntaf i mi berfformio CPR ar blentyn mewn senario bywyd go iawn, ond dim ond ychydig ddyddiau ar ôl y digwyddiad roeddwn i’n dysgu pobl eraill sut i wneud hynny.
“Byddwn yn argymell yr hyfforddiant hwn i unrhyw un sy’n gweithio gyda phlant neu’n gwirfoddoli gyda nhw, boed yn glwb pêl-droed neu grŵp tebyg, gan fod cymorth cyntaf pediatrig ychydig yn wahanol.
“Mae hefyd yn bwysig iawn sicrhau bod eich cymwysterau yn gyfredol. Mae St John Ambulance Cymru yn cynnig cyrsiau gloywi bob tair blynedd ond mae’n well gan rai pobl gwblhau sesiwn gloywi bob blwyddyn.”
Tynnodd Rory sylw hefyd at bwysigrwydd y system rhybuddio GoodSAM, a oedd wedi ei helpu i gyrraedd y lleoliad a gweinyddu CPR yn brydlon.
“Mae GoodSAM yn helpu i leihau’r pwysau ar y gwasanaeth ambiwlans ac mae’n fan cyswllt cyntaf gwych gan fod pob munud yn bwysig, yn enwedig pan ddaw’n fater o ataliad ar y galon neu ataliad anadlol. Mae pob munud yn lleihau siawns plentyn o oroesi 10%.”
Dywedodd Rory hefyd ei fod wedi ymateb o'r blaen i un rhybudd GoodSAM arall yn nes at adref a'i fod wedi rhoi CPR yn llwyddiannus i oedolyn y tro hwnnw.
Mae Rory, sy'n 26 oed ac yn byw yn Llanrwst, yn gobeithio mynd i'r Brifysgol ym mis Medi i astudio Gwyddor Parafeddygol.
Ychwanegodd: “Nid oes rhaid i chi gael PHD mewn CPR, gall unrhyw un ei ddysgu a byddwn yn annog unrhyw un sydd â’r hyfforddiant perthnasol i gofrestru ar gyfer GoodSAM.”
I ddarganfod mwy am y cyrsiau hyfforddi St John Ambulance Cymru ewch i www.sjacymru.org.uk/training.
I ddarganfod mwy am GoodSAM ewch i https://www.goodsamapp.org/ukAndEu
Hyforddwr Masnachol St John Ambulance Cymru, Rory Jones.
