A MUM who launched a community project to teach life-saving skills to parents after saving her own daughter’s life has been branded an ‘everyday hero.’

Natasha Jones has been shortlisted in the ‘Yours’ Community First Aid Champion category of the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes awards.

Natasha will never forget the moment she discovered her 11-week-old daughter Ava-Mai suddenly stopped breathing and turned blue as she took a nap.

Guided only by instinct and TV portrayals of CPR, Natasha managed to successfully resuscitate Ava-Mai. After a frantic wait for an ambulance, Natasha and husband Karl were told their daughter’s ordeal was ‘near-miss cot death.’

To prevent other parents or carers feeling helpless, Natasha, from Brockenhurst, set up ‘Baby Resuscitation’ in 2011, a not-for-profit community project that teaches baby and child first aid and is currently petitioning to get baby and child CPR as part of anti or post-natal care.

The 38-year-old’s efforts have directly contributed to saving lives with more than 900 people attending the courses.

Husband Karl, who nominated Natasha for the awards which are supported by Laerdal Medical said: "Looking back to when Ava-Mai stopped breathing, it's amazing how calm and composed she was. Natasha acted to save our daughter's life, despite not knowing what to do. Since then she's turned a stressful experience into something incredibly positive, by setting up the Baby Resuscitation charity. This has taken huge determination and courage on her part, and her drive to take this forward is inspirational. She's an amazing role model to our children, and other parents, who often seek her advice."

Natasha said: "We can muddle through sterilising bottles, nappies and weaning. But if your baby stops breathing, you need to know exactly what to do.

"Setting up the charity was my way of ensuring other parents don't experience what we did. It was horrendous, and we could have easily been better prepared for it. As an expectant or new parent the amount of information you're given is overwhelming and there's a lot of pressure to be the perfect parents; but you're not required to learn first aid. We need to go back to basics. I think first aid should be included in all antenatal and postnatal classes, so that if you're faced with the worst-case scenario you know what to do, and you're not left hoping an ambulance will arrive in time to save your child's life.

"We were lucky Ava-Mai survived and is a happy and healthy child, but it could have been a very different outcome."

Natasha will be one of five finalists in the ‘Yours’ Community First Aid Champion category and will attend the exclusive awards ceremony at the Hilton London Bankside on September 28 presented by TV presenter and best selling author Katie Piper who is an acid attack survivor.

For information go to www.sja.org.uk