A MUM-OF-THREE who had a brain aneurysm in a Tranent supermarket has thanked the member of staff who saved her life.

Lisa Colborne was visiting the Asda store earlier this year when she collapsed.

Lauren Watt stepped forward and carried out life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 15 minutes before paramedics arrived.

Lisa, 39, said: "I really can't thank Lauren enough.

“I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Lauren. She kept me alive.

“She had to give me CPR for about 15 minutes so it was quite a long time.

“I did end up with a broken rib, so that shows how long she was doing it for.

“Better to have a broken rib though than be dead!

“Everyone was so scared, they didn't think I'd make it."

Lauren was just leaving the store on the town’s High Street at the end of her shift when she received a phone call from another section leader, Brodie Ross, that Lisa had collapsed by the front door.

Lauren, 31, who is first aid trained, quickly stepped forward.

She said: “I rushed to the incident while Brodie was on the phone to the emergency services.

“I found Lisa unconscious on the ground and not moving.

“Knowing I was first aid trained, Brodie passed over the phone to me and I followed the instructions of the 999 operator.

"We put the defibrillator pads on Lisa to monitor her and I began CPR and did so until the paramedics arrived.

“They then instructed me to keep going while they got their equipment.

“So I was giving CPR for roughly about 10 to 15 minutes.

"I had the phone to my shoulder all the time I was doing the compressions and the operator kept me really calm and was counting with me.”

Lauren told the Courier she was “totally focussed” on what she was doing.

She said: “I was just saying to myself 'keep going, keep going' so I could save her.

“It was probably the most terrifying experience I've ever had in my life.

“Knowing now that she is OK is an incredible feeling, it really is.

"When the paramedics took over, I just felt totally exhausted.

“While I was doing the CPR my adrenalin had kept me going.

“Although I was first aid trained, you don't expect to use it like that!"

Lisa – who has three children Rylie (eight), Dylan (21) and Brendan (19) – was taken by ambulance to the Western General Hospital where she had an emergency operation for a ruptured aneurysm on her brain, while she also developed pneumonia.

She spent two weeks in the Edinburgh hospital and is now recovering at home.

She remembers little of the incident.

Lauren said: "It's a really proud feeling that Lisa's here today because of what I did.

“The paramedics said if that if I hadn't kept Lisa's bloods flowing by administering CPR she would no long be with us.

“I'm just so happy that I've helped her stay to with her family."

Peter McAloon said everyone at the store was proud of Lauren.

The store manager said: "Lauren shows a lot of compassion and empathy in everything she does in the store to both customers and colleagues. She's very caring and responsible.

“She's just the complete package for what we are looking for in Asda.

"I only heard about the incident second hand because Lauren is so humble.

“She wasn't putting it out that she'd saved someone's life – which speaks volumes about her as a person.

“Saving someone's life is not something you do every day. We are so proud of her."