I’m trying to get to the point but I can’t without the clichés popping into my head… “You’d never think it would happen to you,” “it was beyond my worst nightmare,” “First Aid can save lives.”
But in this instance, the clichés are true. They are real. I never ever thought that my beautiful newborn baby girl would stop breathing and start bleeding from the nose and mouth. I never ever imagined I would be screaming for help as her lifeless body turned grey and she was unresponsive. I never ever thought I would be laying her on the ground and with the help of a stranger, be resuscitating her as we tried to revive her before the ambulance got there.
I never thought I’d be in an ambulance with my two daughters – one being hooked up to oxygen and the other sat quietly strapped to the chair as she watched a horror unfold in front of her.
I never imagined that I would be calling my partner, the dad of my babies, trying to explain that shortly after he dropped us off at The Hepworth Wakefield gallery, that this tragedy had unfolded as we entered the building looking to do some craft activities.
But all of this did happen. And thanks to that stranger, that first responder, the paramedics and the doctors and nurses. My baby is here today almost ready to celebrate her 3rd birthday.
That chain of help I describe above, would have been broken at the start if that stranger hadn’t known first aid (and luckily I knew some basics too).
So from the bottom of my heart, please find a First Aid course. Here’s some of the courses I or my Facebook followers recommend:
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service (or check out your local ambulance service) runs free 2 hour training courses and you can choose to host one too.
- Local Councils: Wakefield Council, which is my local council, runs free courses several times a year.
- Claire at Mini First Aid runs classes around Yorkshire for a minimum of six and also does classes for kids to learn first aid.
https://www.facebook.com/Minifirstaidleeds/ - 1st steps First Aid: https://www.facebook.com/1stStepsFirstAid/
- British red cross first aid course. All day course. Very good! https://www.redcross.org.uk/…/Baby-and-Child-First-Aid
- Daisy First Aid runs courses across the country…
More courses will be added soon!