Calls for more to learn CPR with around 800,000 people in Wales yet to learn how to save a life

Two young people from South Wales who were born with heart conditions are urging people to learn how to do CPR, as new figures released by British Heart Foundation state around 800,000 in Wales are yet to learn the skills to save a life.

17-year-old Lily from Carmarthenshire and 18-year-old Garyn from Neath were both born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart.

Garyn Jones, 18, is urging for more people to get on board with learning how to perform CPR and Defibrillation.

Garyn said: "It's a subject that definitely needs to be talked about. For my condition, I've been quite unlucky in some retrospect but then quite lucky for having amazing doctors.

"I think [CPR] is an important skill to know, it's not very often you're going to have to use it, but if you do know it, you could save someone's life in the future."

A survey conducted for the BHF by Censuswide, found that 16-26 year olds in Wales are the most confident generation in performing CPR, with 68% of respondents trained. On the other hand only 46% of people aged 59 to 77 said they were comfortable in their ability to save a life.

Lily was born with the congenital heart defect, Tetralogy of Fallot.

Lily said: "I learnt CPR in school, it's such a valuable skill to know because as a young person, I think you should know it. To anyone thinking of learning the skill, I'd definitely go for it, it only takes 15 minutes to learn."

Only one in 20 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Wales, a statistic the BHF Cymru is determined to improve.

Adam Fletcher, Head of BHF Cymru added: "Without CPR, the chances of someone surviving a cardiac arrest are very very low. We've made it as easy as possible for everyone to learn CPR, you can go online and on your mobile."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…