'I just like to help': Meet the quick-thinking big brother who's saved his sister's life 22 times

Quick-thinking Harry Flynn is the ultimate caring big brother - after saving his little sister's life now fewer than 22 times.

Harry's sister Isabelle, aged two, was born 12 weeks premature and suffers from apnoea, which makes her stop breathing without warning.

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But sharp-minded Harry learned how to perform the kiss of life at Red Cross kids' club and regularly steps in to keep his sister alive.

He has performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on her while watching TV, during visits to the supermarket and on family days out.

Harry's proud mother Maria says she has "no doubt" her little daughter would have died had it not been for her amazing big brother.

Harry first came to the rescue when the family were watching television and Isabelle cried out before turning blue and falling unconscious.

Maria, 37, said: 'It all happened so fast and we were just thinking "oh my god, what's happening".

'She just turned blue, then purple, and she was unconscious.  She was out cold.

'But Harry was so cool and calm.  He just tapped her leg and called her name and when he got no response he just gave her two breaths and she came round and took an enormous breath.

'We couldn't believe what we had just seen.'

Isabelle weighed just 2lbs when she was born at just 28 weeks, and was in hospital for 10 weeks before she was able to come home, weighing just 5lbs.

She used to stop breathing a couple of times a week but now has an episode around once a month, although doctors say she will eventually grow out of the condition.

Harry learned his life-saving skills at the Red Cross Teddy Bears - a youth club he has attended every week since he was five years old.

He has saved his sister's life in supermarkets, out on family trips and even dashes into her bedroom to revive her in her cot if she stops breathing in the middle of the night.

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Isabelle has a sensor in her mattress that monitors her breathing and sounds an alarm if she stops breathing.

'Harry is always there first," said Maria. 'He gets to her so fast and he is just so good at it.

'He is so calm and collected and mature beyond his years.  He's amazing - our own hero.'

Harry has also trained sister Molly, five, how to revive their little sister in case she ever stops breathing while he or his mum are not around.

Modest Harry - who says he "just likes to help" - played down his hero status.

'It was a little bit frightening at first but I know what to do.

'In the night time when I hear the alarm I run to her room and shake her cot and then do a few breaths.  I just like to help her.'

Apnoea is the absence of spontaneous respiration.  When it happens in premature babies it is called apnoea of prematurity and can happen because the baby's central nervous system is not fully developed when they are born.

Staff at the Irish Red Cross - which runs the Teddy-Bears club - said they were very proud of Harry's heroic actions.

Darren Ryan, chairman of the Irish Red Cross Youth working group, added: 'Harry’s heroic actions show that first aid training for young people really can make a difference. It also shows the capability of our youth members.'