text: Koby Hodder, suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed in the school playground when he was 10 . A 10-year-old boy nearly died after suffering a cardiac arrest in the school playground. Koby Hodder's heart stopped for a staggering 12 minutes after he collapsed while running around with friends during the morning break. He was playing British Bulldog – a game in which children run from one side of a playing field to another without being caught by one of the ‘bulldogs’, who often employ forceful tactics to trap runners, including rugby tackling opponents to the ground. Teachers across the country have called for the game to be banned, claiming it is dangerous and leads to children becoming injured. In the middle of playing the game, Koby suffered a cardiac arrest. This is where the electrical activity of the heart becomes so chaotic that it stops pumping and quivers or ‘fibrillates’ instead. His heart suddenly stopped beating blood around his body and he collapsed and lost consciousness. The 10-year-old was later diagnosed with the same heart condition as footballer Fabrice Muamba, a former Bolton Wanderers  player who collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest during the first half of Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham in 2012. Mr Muamba was 'effectively dead' for 78 minutes and had to be shocked 15 times before his heart restarted. Teachers at Koby’s school in Doncaster, were able to give Koby CPR until paramedics arrived and saved his life. His father, Mark, 45, got a call from the school at around 11am on March 2, and was told to get to the school immediately. He said: 'I was working around the corner so I was able to get straight over there and when I saw Koby on the ground I knew he was dead. 'Teachers were giving him CPR but I could see he was grey and lifeless. I couldn't even go to him. I was devastated.' Luckily he was brought back to life when paramedics Lee Murphy and Martin Parkinson and emergency care assistant Freddie Stevens arrived, and were able to save him by giving Koby two shocks with a defibrillator. A cardiac arrest happens when the heart stops pumping blood around your body. The most common cause of a cardiac arrest is a life threatening abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). Ventricular fibrillation happens when the electrical activity of your heart becomes so chaotic that the heart stops pumping and quivers or 'fibrillates' instead. Someone who is having a cardiac arrest will suddenly lose consciousness and will stop breathing or stop breathing normally. Unless immediately treated by CPR this always leads to death within minutes. It is possible to survive and recover from a cardiac arrest, with the right treatment. Ventrivular fibrillation - which causes an arrest - can sometimes be corrected by giving an electric shock through the chest wall, by using a device called a defibrillator. Source: British Heart Foundation . Koby, who turned 11 two weeks ago, was rushed to Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where he seemed to be making a recovery. Just as he seemed to be improving, he suffered another attack, and was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Mr Hodder, a builder and father-of-three, said: 'We were beside ourselves with worry. 'Koby is super-fit, he plays football three times a week and goes boxing two times a week. ‘How could this happen in someone so young?’ Koby’s mother, Joanne Hodder, 43, added: 'Can you imagine what we were going through? 'We didn't even have a clue what had happened to Koby. ‘We didn't think for a moment that he could have had a heart problem. 'I had dropped him off to school that morning and he was his happy little self. ‘We had no warning. Koby is a bit of a joker so when he collapsed even his friends thought he was messing around, until they noticed he wasn't breathing.' While Koby was in hospital doctors fitted him with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to shock his heart back into rhythm should it ever stop again. Muamba, 26, was fitted with the same implant after his high profile collapse three years ago. Mr Hodder said: 'At the moment we don't know what has caused Koby to have a heart problem. It is baffling.' Koby, who is now 11, suffered a series of cardiac arrests, where the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body, and was treated in intensive care . Koby had a device fitted to his heart which will shock it back into beating if it ever stops again. He is pictured in hospital with boxer Josh Warrington . Mr and Mrs Hodder are due to have tests to see if Koby's heart condition is hereditary. His brother and sister, Joel, 27, and Courteney, 20, may also have to be tested. Mrs Hodder, said: 'I cannot thank each and every person who played a part in saving Koby's life and helped with his recovery, enough. 'Teachers, paramedics and hospital staff have all been amazing. 'As a parent it is your worst nightmare to receive a phone call like I did from school, when you sent your healthy 10-year-old child there fit and well that morning. 'Doctors have said that the fact that Koby was running around at the time of the attack may have helped him - because it meant his heart was pumping.' Koby knows he is lucky to be alive, but his dream of being a professional footballer has been taken from him. Koby had played with both Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers youth teams and dreamed of playing for his beloved Leeds United when he got older. Mr Hodder said: 'Doctors have said he can play with friends as long as he doesn't exert himself too much. ‘They've said that if he can exercise and talk at the same time then that's okay, but playing professionally is out of the question. Koby suffered from the same heart condition as Fabrice Muamba, a Bolton Wanderers football player who collapsed after a cardiac arrest during the first half of Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham . 'Maybe Koby would not have been a professional footballer but he is gutted, understandably.' Mrs Hodder said: 'When Koby feels down we tell him that he is very lucky to be here and that makes him feel better. 'But he is still recovering and sometimes he feels scared, but he is still getting used to his defibrillator. It's a big thing he has had to deal with. 'For his birthday he didn't want a sleepover as we had originally planned, instead we went for a day out to York. 'Koby has come a long way and even returned to school this month. 'He's had a fantastic recovery so far, which is all down to the fast response from the school staff and the paramedics. 'He's doing better than we could have ever imagined. I am so grateful we still have our little boy with us.' For more information visit the Cardiac Risk in the Young charity website.
target: Koby Hodder was playing British Bulldog on his break when he collapsed .
  He suffered a series of cardiac arrests and was treated in intensive care .
  Was fitted with a device to shock his heart back into beating if it stopped .
  Now can only carry out light exercise but feels 'lucky to be alive'