Heroic Coventry mum that saved daughter's life urges parents to back first aid initiative - The Coventry Observer

Heroic Coventry mum that saved daughter's life urges parents to back first aid initiative

Coventry Editorial 3rd Mar, 2016 Updated: 28th Oct, 2016   0

A QUICK-THINKING Coventry mum who saved her daughter from choking is urging parents to get behind a new first aid initiative.

Toni Lowe, a mother of three from Keresley, sprung into action in a city cafe last year when her daughter Courtney began chocking on a piece of bacon.

But, remembering the advice given in St John Ambulance’s award-winning ‘The Chokeables’ advert, Toni was able to dislodge the piece of meat and save the nine

-year-old’s life.




“My husband, Courtney and I were sitting in Snax in the City happily chomping away on our lunch when next thing Courtney was crouching and started pointing at her throat.

“It was then I realised she was choking.


“All of a sudden David Walliams voice from St John Ambulance’s last advert came into my head and reminded me about the five back slaps technique.

“With everyone else standing round not knowing what to do, I slapped Courtney’s back and she coughed up a long slice of bacon.

“Luckily she’s been chewing her food more carefully since that day.

“Had it not been for the advert, I shudder to think what would have happened.”

Praising the advert’s easy, memorable message, Toni said she never though an advert would save her daughter’s life.

“You just never know when you might need to use first aid – a little bit of knowledge can be invaluable,” Toni said, urging other Coventry parents to learn first aid.

“That’s why I’m supporting the new St John Ambulance campaign. I hope it gives another parent or carer the confidence to be the difference in an emergency situation with their child.”

St John Ambulance’s latest campaign – Nursery Rhymes Inc. – hopes to teach parents and the public what to do to help a baby who has stopped breathing.

The advert features beloved nursery rhyme characters, including Humpty Dumpty and Incy Wincy Spider, who have joined forces to create a memorable rhyme to explain the technique.

Concluding in a catchy two-minute song, the campaign hopes to make baby CPR unforgettable.

New research shows choking is the first aid emergency West Midlands parents are most worried about – with less than one in three knowing how to help.

Sue Killen, CEO at St John Ambulance, said: “We’ve listened to parents and we know that they want to learn first aid skills in a way that’s easy and memorable. That’s what inspired us to create Nursery Rhymes Inc.

“We know that a major barrier to parents learning is that baby CPR frightens them, so we’ve removed the fear factor and made it reassuring and as easy as possible to learn. We hope the song will stick in everyone’s heads.”

St John Ambulance is also hosting a special baby first aid course for parents, parents-to-be and carers in Coventry on Saturday (March 5) from 10am to 1pm.

More information on the course, and more first aid videos can be found online at www.sja.org.uk/NurseryRhymesInc

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