A woman whose quick thinking and first aid skills helped her father when he was seriously injured is urging readers to join the Leicester Mercury's Save a Life Campaign.
Rebecca Harrison leapt into action when her dad, Paul Clarke, fractured his spine in two places and broke seven ribs after falling from a ladder at his Loughborough home.
His injuries could have been far worse if she had not kept him still while they waited for an ambulance.
Rebecca, 30, said: "I was inside with my mother when we heard a bang and a scream.
"I saw my dad lying on the patio. We rang 999 and I ran outside.
"I could see dad was struggling to breathe. He had fallen half on his back and side and I knew it was really important for him to keep still to prevent any further damage."
Rebecca, a school learning support worker from Barrow upon Soar, said: "I sat behind him to give him some support and kept talking and reassuring him.
"I knew it was important to keep him still and awake while we waited for the ambulance, which took about 90 minutes.
"When he got to hospital it turned out a piece of rib had punctured his lung and the doctors said how important it had been not to move him."
Mr Clarke had emergency surgery after the accident in September.
Rebecca, one of several first aiders at Hall Orchard Primary School, in Barrow, said: "There was one point where we thought we were going to lose him.
"I was so pleased I had done first aid training and knew what to do to help.
"I have had to use my first aid a few times at school, mainly for cuts and scrapes.
"First aid is a vital skill ."
Mr Clarke, 58, was in intensive care following the accident, but has recently returned to work as a caretaker at Leicester Royal Infirmary.
He said: "Rebecca took it all in her stride.
"Had I moved before the ambulance got there I could have severed my spinal cord or I could have simply bled to death.
"I can't remember much about the accident but I do know a lot of people who haven't had any sort of first aid training could have done the wrong thing."
Carl Makins, regional training and community projects manager at St John Ambulance, said: "A spinal injury such as this could potentially be life-changing.
"We are delighted to hear Rebecca was able to use her first aid training learnt through St John Ambulance to help her dad in what must have been a distressing situation for everyone."
