A SIX-YEAR-OLD "miracle child" is looking forward to Christmas a year after surviving a devastating cardiac arrest.

Bobby Phelps almost died during the terrifying episode last December and spent five weeks undergoing intensive hospital treatment.

Now his mum is urging parents to learn first aid and how to perform CPR following her son's brush with death.

And she revealed Bobby only survived because his dad remembered first aid lessons he was given on a lifeguarding course when he was 15.

Kimberley Phelps told the Daily Echo: "On December 14 last year we had just had a normal day and had been to watch Bobby's school play.

"He was so excited about Christmas that it took me about 18 attempts to get him to bed that night."

But she said within seconds of leaving Bobby's room she could hear a "continuous gurgling noise" and ran back to the room to check on him.

"I shouted out to my partner because I thought he was choking. He had stopped breathing and when I contacted the ambulance service I was just shouting and screaming.

"He had suffered a cardiac arrest but he's six-years-old so we didn't expect it.

"There was no breathing, no pulse, no nothing."

Kimberley, who lives with partner, Nick, Bobby and 16-month-old Noah in Fraser Road, Poole, said doctors were brought to their home from Poole Hospital before Bobby was taken to Southampton Hospital. He was put into an induced coma.

She added: "48 hours later he was sitting up in bed eating a biscuit like nothing had happened. We realise how lucky we've been but we also know he could have died that night.

"Nick could barely remember what he'd learned about CPR but whatever he did, it worked. We've been told only three per cent of children survive in cases like this. The doctors said he is our Christmas miracle.

"It's so important to warn people about what can happen if you don't have any first aid training."

Bobby, a pupil of Courthill Infants School, has since been diagnosed with a genetic heart condition and is now being closely monitored by experts.

Long QT syndrome causes problems with the electrical activity of the heart.

The family has been invited to take part in a trip to Disneyland Paris by charity Make a Wish Foundation.