I had what I call a proper First Aid incident at home on Thursday evening. I don’t mean a grazed knee or a twisted ankle………my 11 year old son was choking!
If you are a parent, I am sure you have witnessed your child gagging on food, which is a scary experience. But this was proper choking, and I thank my lucky stars that I have trained as a first aider.
My first experience of First Aid training was in hospital after my eldest daughter suffered Febrile convulsions when she was a baby. I had no experience of what these were or how to deal with them and I just remember the sheer panic of not knowing what was happening or what to do.
I then became a first aider at work, which involved calls almost every day in a busy supermarket. I have dealt with cuts, burns, epileptic fits and even a heart attack and have memories of shoppers trying to climb over me and the patient to get to their chosen item.
In September last year Kian broke his arm falling off a climbing frame and I managed to fashion a sling from a baby blanket – I was impressed I remembered how to do it and it certainly made him feel a little more comfortable on the journey to the hospital.
When I decided to become a childminder, it is a requirement that you complete a two day Advanced Paediatric First Aid course and I did mine in January. It is a good idea to keep your knowledge refreshed every 3 years though as often advice changes depending on research done.
I am so glad I had that training now. It helped me remain calm and level headed – I knew what I had to do. I moved Kian to a slightly bent over position and gave him back slaps and am very lucky that the obstruction (a bit of a Tortilla chip) flew out on the 3rd strike. I was also very relieved that we didn’t have to do abdominal thrusts. The relief at hearing him take in that first breath and seeing his face pink back up was immense and it was only then I had a little wobble.
Kian was fine after having a breather and lots of cuddles for 10 minutes, although his throat is a little sore and he is obviously shaken.
Please, if you have the opportunity to take any form of First Aid course, jump at the chance. It really could be a life saver one day!