Teacher gives a heartfelt thank you to boyfriend

A SCHOOL teacher says she 'wouldn't be here' if it wasn’t for her boyfriend’s lifesaving actions after she suffered an out-of-the-blue cardiac arrest age just 24.

- By NAOMI CORRIGAN

Rachel Kennington collapsed in October 2024 after taking a shower at home.

The Year Four teacher at St Bernadette’s Primary School, in Nunthorpe, was saved by her boyfriend, 29-year-old Matty Flay, who gave her CPR until an ambulance arrived.

She was rushed to the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, where she remained in intensive care for a week.

“There's no doubt that Matty saved my life,” said Rachel.

“We all say he’s an absolute hero and I'm so very grateful. I genuinely wouldn't be here if it wasn’t for him.”

Matty, a telecoms engineer, heard Rachel fall to the floor in a dressing room next to their bathroom and immediately phoned Rachel’s mum, Jackie, and asked if Rachel was prone to fainting.