A TEENAGER whose life was saved by school first aiders after his heart stopped has undergone a heart operation.

John Gray, 14, a pupil at Clacton County High School, was put into an induced coma after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest while at the school, in Walton Road, last week.

The first aiders rushed to John’s aid and restarted his heart using the school’s defibrillator within two minutes.

John, from Clacton, was transferred to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, where he was placed in an induced coma on June 11.

His mum Mandy Piper said following a series of tests, John was brought out of his coma.

She said her son has been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition which causes the heart to beat abnormally fast for periods of time. He underwent cardiac ablation surgery on his heart on Tuesday, which sees radio frequency used to burn away tissues causing the abnormal signals.

Ms Piper said: “The operation took four hours and it went well. John is now moving around.

“It’s to do with electrical signals. He had extra pathway which needed to be burned and closed up.

“It’s still early days and further investigation may be needed.

“The doctors, nurses and friendly staff were truly fantastic. “John has been very well cared for in every way.

“Not only have they been there for John, but the for me as well.

“He won’t be going home yet as more tests need to be done over the next few days. John is now in school at the hospital.

“He has a mock GCSE in science coming up, which he is studying for.

“John has had so many messages from friends wishing him well.”

Ms Piper, who last week thanked first aiders at the school for saving her son’s life, has appealed for all schools to install a defibrillator.

She said: “My son would be dead if this life-saving machine was not at the school.

“We need to pull together somehow and make this happen at every school.”

Headteacher Chris Taylor praised all those at the school involved in saving John, including two first aiders who carried out CPR and two others who liaised with the ambulance service.