A life-saving moment sparked mission for Catherine

A dramatic act of quick thinking and life-saving first aid inspired one of our own, Catherine Wright, to become a passionate fundraiser for Hartlepool Ambulance Charity. Catherine, Higher Education Lead and Quality Enhancement Manager at Hartlepool College, has shared her powerful story to help raise awareness of just how vital CPR training can be.

It all happened in September 2024, when Catherine pulled into a local charity car park in Stockton. “The man was lying there,” said Catherine. “I said to my little girl in the car that this man needed my help, so she had to stay in the car.”

Thinking he was having a seizure, Catherine recognised the signs and began monitoring him closely. “Soon after, I saw him take one last gasp, then I saw the colour drain out of him. At that point, I knew I needed to give him CPR, and I asked someone to call an ambulance.”

Catherine performed CPR for seven critical minutes until paramedics arrived, three in total, taking over the care. It wasn’t until later that Catherine found out just how significant her actions had been.

“A friend tagged me in a social media post that said, ‘Shout out to a local hero!’ The post mentioned that the gentleman’s family wanted to thank those who had helped save his life. After I was tagged, the family reached out with several messages. A paramedic had told his daughter that I was responsible for saving his life.”

Since then, Catherine has been determined to spread the word about CPR - both here at the College and across the wider community. As part of our Skills Week in February, she teamed up with our First Aid tutor, Andy Fordham, to deliver CPR training to over 200 students.

That effort caught the attention of Jason Anderson from Hartlepool Ambulance Charity, who invited Catherine to become an advocate for the charity and its aims, including providing the College with pedal bikes and first aid bags, as well as offering work experience for students.

Catherine recently completed the Charm Bracelet Trail marathon from Redcar to Whitby, raising over £1,000 in the process. She’s no stranger to a challenge, having already completed three half marathons and the gruelling Endure 24 event.

“I said to the students, you may not need to use CPR now, but at some stage you could, and it might be on a friend, a loved one, or a stranger in a car park. Knowing what to do gives you the confidence to step in and help – doing something is always better than doing nothing. It’s about spreading the message that with the right knowledge, you can act when it matters. I’m so glad I was trained in first aid.”

At Hartlepool College, we offer first aid training for both individuals and businesses, with emergency and full first aid courses available throughout the year.

Catherine is now hoping to identify students who would like to support the Hartlepool Ambulance Charity, starting with the First Aid Programme, planned for the end of August this year, dates to be confirmed. Those involved could go on to complete work experience with the charity from September.

If you're a student interested in getting involved, speak to your tutor.

And if you’d still like to support Catherine’s fundraising efforts, donations can be made via her JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/page/catherine-wright-hcfe