A 12-YEAR-OLD girl saved a man's life by resuscitation when she saw him collapse in a park.
Cydney Purcell single-handedly made the pensioner comfortable, phoned for an ambulance and then undertook CPR until paramedics arrived.
Just five days before, Cydney, who goes to Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School, had passed her St John Ambulance cadet exam in CPR.
At her unit's presentation ceremony earlier this month she was awarded the under-14 cadet of the year trophy.
Cydney, who lives in Romford, recalled how on the afternoon of Saturday, December 1, events took a dramatic turn as she was walking to catch the bus home with friends.
She said: "I was in Elm Park walking behind this man who was in his 70s.
"I was about to overtake him as I could see a bus coming in the distance when I noticed he was walking unsteadily, then he stumbled and fell.
"I ran over and put my jacket under his head, then checked his pulse.
"I phoned the ambulance on my mobile phone and then saw he had stopped breathing, so told the operator and then started CPR.
"The ambulance arrived quickly and it was getting dark but luckily I was wearing a neon green top so waved and they spotted me.
"I explained what I had done and they took over."
Cydney undertook 13 rounds of CPR, before handing him to the paramedics who continued the treatment and used a defibrillator until the man, who was in his 70s, revived on the way to hospital.
After a paramedic checked he was all right and took down Cydney's details, the youngster calmly phoned her mum and told her she was running late.
She said: "I arrived home and my mum said 'we are getting a takeaway' as the dinner had burnt.
"I was shaking and told her what happened.
"Obviously she was really shocked and surprised and worried I was OK.
"Once I'd eaten I felt much better and sat down to watch TV.
"I felt fine except I kept wondering how the man was."
When Cydney attended the St John Ambulance presentation evening she was stunned to receive the award.
She said: "My cadet leader called me up to the front and gave me the award, saying 'Cydney, you're always the giggly one.'
"I said I know but I do take in all that I'm being taught. I just have a knack for first aid, I think."
Head of Year 8 at the Ursuline, Chris Evans, said: "Cydney is known in school for her happy, outgoing personality.
"She just happened to mention to someone in school that she had won this trophy and when we found out why we were stunned.
"For someone of her age to do what she did in that situation is truly remarkable and we are all immensely proud of her."
