A MUM-OF-THREE had her life saved by her devoted parents when she suffered a heart attack at home.

Amy Miller, 33, was born with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), a congenital heart defect which saw her spend years in hospital as a child, and on Sunday led her to collapse after suffering cardiac arrest.

The former shop assistant was in the living room at her Holgate home and was able to shout for help from her mum, Margaret, 57, before she lost consciousness.

Margaret ran in and found Amy with her fists clenched and her lips turning blue.

She got her husband, Peter, also 57, who restarted his daughter's heart with a defibrillator doctors fitted to her after she suffered a previous heart attack in 2007.

Amy was taken by ambulance to York Hospital, where she is still receiving treatment in the cardiac ward.

Margaret said Amy had her first heart operation at a year old. Margaret has always been by her side, and when she was young she chose to live with Amy at a specialist unit until she was well enough to return to her family.

Single-parent Amy, who is mum to Jessica, 13, Louise, nine, and Charlie, three, has raised her children with the help of her mum, but was forced to move in with her parents when her condition worsened shortly after the birth of her third child.

Margaret's dedication to her family has won her a nomination for Community Pride’s Parent of the Year from Amy’s twin sister, Katie.

The family live together in their extended home in Wilton Rise, and Margaret's other seven grandchildren stay over during weekends.

But Amy is too unwell to care for her children, leaving her mum to take on the joint role of mum and grandmother.

Margaret, who has herself suffered from heart problems, said: "The grandkids are my life and so are my kids.

"I do everything for them. I take them to school, do washing, homework and everything else because Amy's not well enough to do that.

"She wanted to bring her children up and was in her own house as long as she could be, and I used to go round.

"Amy is really poorly at the moment and I don't know how long she's going to be in hospital for.

"When she’s like she is now it knocks you for six.

"She copes and never moans but she can’t do a lot or walk very far."

York Press:
 Amy’s mum, Margaret, with her grandchildren Jessica, 12, Louise, nine, and Charlie, three

When Amy was pregnant with her third child she was advised by doctors not to have any more children because her heart may not have been able to cope with another birth.

Her family do not know how long she will be in hospital, but realise she will be unable to look after her children without the help of her mum.

However, the Millers are planning a holiday to Majorca in September and are hopeful Amy can join them.

Mrs Miller said: "Looking after everyone is the person I am.

"My husband is marvellous as well and he loves having the kids home.

"All being well we will go away in September to Majorca if Amy's better, but is she's not well, I won't be going."

Katie, 33, added: "My mum does everything.

"People ring her about 30 times a day and she goes to them.

"She's had a heart attack and is not in the best of health herself, but she still carries on which is quite remarkable."

TOF is a condition characterised by structural abnormalities within the heart and the complications include causing the heart muscle to thicken and the heart to work harder, which can cause holes in the heart, problems with heart valves and poor blood flow through it.

Community Pride is run by The Press and City of York Council, and the principal sponsor is Benenden.

All nominees must live in, or contribute to life in, the City of York Council area. Around three finalists from each category will be invited to the awards ceremony at York Racecourse in October, when the winners will be revealed.

You can make a nomination online at yorkpress.co.uk/communitypride/. Entries must be submitted by Friday, July 17.