'Kiss of life' paramedic praised

Julie Jenkins with Jason Phillips and his mother Rita

A mother has praised an off-duty paramedic who saved her son and helped his brother and friends after a crash.

Julie Jenkins came upon the accident near Aberdare in the Cynon Valley and realised four men in the car were friends of her daughter's.

Rita Phillips said her son Jason would have died but for mother-of-four Ms Jenkins's "swift actions".

The 19-year-old, who had head injuries, broken ribs and pelvis, was unconscious so she gave him the kiss of life.

Mrs Phillips, a ward manager at Aberdare Hospital, said: "Julie saved my son's life, there's no two ways about that. He wouldn't be alive today but for her.

"I really thought I had lost both my sons because my daughter phoned me (and said) that there had been an accident and I went down there.

"John had a wound in his leg like a shark bite and had lost a lot of blood and Jason was badly injured.

"Julie was amazing. She is a real hero and she gave Jason a fighting chance and he's now doing so well because of the initial care she gave him."

'Shock'

Ms Jenkins was driving home when she came across the crash in her home village of Aberaman in January.

She immediately began treating the four casualties, who included her daughter Sara's boyfriend John, Jason Phillips's brother.

As well as three broken ribs and serious head injuries including a bleed to the brain, Jason was also bleeding into punctured lungs, said the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Ms Jenkins, 45, said: "He had a strong pulse but his breathing had stopped.

"I jumped out of the car and went over to give assistance, explaining I was a paramedic because I was only dressed in jogging bottoms and a jumper.

"I had a shock when I saw John in the back seat with the other boys Leighton Gilson in the driver's seat, Jason next to him and Richard Commons in the back with John.

Jason Phillips is still in hospital but recovering well

"Leighton was the only one who wasn't trapped so we helped him out and made him lie on the pavement and I started giving Jason the kiss of life with two of the passers-by helping me - they were very good and helped support Jason."

Fire crews cut free the three others.

The friends were taken to Merthyr Tydfil's Prince Charles Hospital where Jason remains, a fortnight after the crash of which he remembers nothing.

His 22-year-old brother had 50 stitches in his leg, Mr Gilson suffered internal injuries and had a kidney and part of his spleen removed.

Mr Commons, 20, broken two vertebra. All four had head injuries.