Peterborough parents launch charity to provide free infant CPR training after 'horrific' experience having to resuscitate their seven-week old son

In July, the founders of Tiny Heartbeat Heroes UK suffered one of the most traumatic experience possible for new parents when they found their seven-week old son Leo not breathing at around 2:30am in the morning.

Seeing their child turn dark blue, lifeless and unresponsive caused ‘the worst panic you could ever imagine as a parent’ according to the couple but both leapt into action- thanks to knowing how to administer CPR- and were able to bring Leo back around before the paramedics arrived.

Paramedics arrived at their home seconds after the couple had managed to help Leo to breathe again and were on hand to perform CPR themselves when he began to stop breathing for a second time.

Leo was initially rushed to Peterborough City Hospital and later transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge before being given the all clear to return home.

Leo is now happily back at home and doing well but his parents know that is in large part to the fact that he received immediate CPR from themselves. Both knew what to do having undergone multiple training sessions on how to administer CPR over the years.

The worry though, what about those parents that haven’t been trained? Would every parent know what to do and be able to help their child in that situation? For Leo’s parents, they wanted that answer to be yes so they set out doing just that.

The couple have founded registered charity Tiny Heartbeat Heroes UK, the UK’s first charity of its kind, set up to offer free Paediatric specific CPR & Choking emergency response handling taught by medical professionals such as MAGPAS and the East of England Ambulance Service.

They said: “The main reason we set the charity up is that its has become apparent to us that there is nothing like this out there for parents, let alone for free.

"We believe that parents shouldn’t have to pay to learn how to act in the event of their child choking and/or needing CPR.

"The situation we went through was so horrific. It was the most horrific and stressful experience imaginable and every parent’s worst nightmare.

“Luckily we both knew what to do and the paramedic on scene who treated Leo made it very clear that had we not acted how we did the outcome would of been a very different story.

“We can’t help but thing about those poor parents who have no idea what to do in that situation and we want to give them and everyone the chance to learn for absolutely nothing.

"After sharing out story, we received so many messages from parents saying they would have no idea what to do and that is why we set up the charity.

"There are many companies offering paid First Aid courses but there are no “paediatric specific” in person training let alone for free and we believe you should not have to pay to learn how to save a baby/infant/child when it comes to CPR and choking.”

Last month, the charity held its first event and welcomed the East of England Ambulance Service and MAGPAS Air Ambulance to AJs Gym in Yaxley to lead free workshops across the weekend of November 15-16. One of the sessions was even led by Paramedic Josh, who arrived and saved Leo’s life in July!

The workshops focused on teaching parents vital skills to use should they end up in a paediatric CPR and choking medical emergency.

In just the first weekend, 64 parents received free training!

The charity has already scheduled its next event in Peterborough in 2026 and is set to roll out further workshops across the UK in the rest of the year.

To fund out more and to support the charity, visit tinyheartbeatheroes.com or @tinyheartbeatheroes on Instagram.