Stories of Young Children Saving Lives

A year six pupil saved her eight-month-old cousin Haniyah after she choked on an apple. Haniyah’s mum said: "Her quick actions saved my baby’s life. She didn’t panic or cry and knew what to do. I’m so proud of her – she can come and babysit whenever she wants!"

Classmate Rida helped her eight-year-old sister Iqra by performing the Heimlich manoeuvre after she began choking on a bean. Rida said: "I could tell she was choking so gave her five back slaps and a couple of up-thrusts and a bean came flying out."

Maisha also knew what to do when seven-year-old sister Saniah choked on an ice-lolly. She said: "I thought she was joking at first but then she was running around so I tried to calm her down. I was really frightened but glad I knew what to do. It makes me want to cry when I think what could have happened to her. She was really lucky."

The pupils have been taught first aid and resuscitation for the past three years at their primary school, and these important lessons have really paid off.  Pauline McCullough from Safe2Care Training in Coleraine used these young girls story to illustrate how important it is for everyone who is around young children to know basic first aid. "Young children are always exploring their environments, and inevitably accidents happen.  It is so important for parents and families to know first aid, so that swift action can be taken to save these precious young lives." Paediatric First Aid is different to First Aid for Adults in a number of significant ways, and all care givers, and families should do a course in Paediatric First Aid if they are looking after small children. 

Safe2Care Training runs courses In Family First Aid, and Paediatric First Aid throughout Northern Ireland, using Paediatric Trained Nurse Tutors, who bring their wealth of experience into their First Aid Training.