Stevens remembers nothing of her near-fatal emergency six months ago when she collapsed and went into cardiac arrest at home in Waiuku, 60km south of Auckland.
The 43-year-old early childhood education head teacher had no history of heart problems and her partner, Chas Grant, initially believed she was having a seizure.
It was Shaw who realised it was more serious.
"Her head went down and I pushed it back up. She took one last breath. She pretty much died 30 seconds later."
Despite the distress of those around her, Shaw remained calm.
"I didn't want to come to terms with my mum dying on the floor so I blocked that out. I really can stay calm in a situation like that."
Shaw called 111 while Grant did CPR, keeping him focused when he began to panic.
Six Waiuku volunteer firefighters arrived with a defibrillator within eight minutes. Five shocks later, Stevens' heart was beating.
Their actions, and those of St John Ambulance officers, inspired Shaw to follow her dream of becoming a medic, she said.
"They came in and were working so well together, they were so fast. I admired what they do and thought how rewarding that would be."
By the time Stevens was in the ambulance, Shaw was telling one of the officers what she wanted to do.
She has since made it happen and told the story of helping save her mum when she was interviewed by army recruiters.
After basic training at Waiouru she will transfer to Burnham, near Christchurch, to study for a Bachelor of Health Sciences.
ASB executive general manager of marketing and communications, Roger Beaumont, said 1300 frontline staff would learn CPR and how to use the defibrillator.
Public clinics had finished in the North Island but more were planned in the South Island.
"If an AED located in an ASB branch can help save one life we know these units will have contributed to the wellbeing of New Zealand's communities."
The initiative was brilliant, Shaw said. "If it wasn't for the defibrillator mum wouldn't be here."
