A MUM has revealed how she was able to save her daughter from choking on a piece of fruit thanks to a simple technique she learned from a St John Ambulance video.
Lindsey Hughes, 32, lived a parent’s worst nightmare when her eight-month-old daughter Phoebe suddenly turned purple and started “convulsing” while on a family day at Brighton beach.
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Luckily, Lindsey had watched a video produced by St John Ambulance and knew how to react in an emergency.
The mum grabbed her daughter, lay her across her lap on her front and gave her four slaps on the back before the blockage was dislodged.
The quick-thinking parent has now been nominated for the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes award in recognition of her bravery during the incident three years ago.
Recalling the traumatic incident, Lindsey told the Mirror: “We were walking along the seafront in Brighton and I had started to wean her and she was eating really well.”
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While they enjoyed their walk along the beach, Lindsey was feeding her daughter chunks of mango to help with teething.
Fortunately for the mum, she decided to sit on the beach and watch Phoebe while she happily chewed on the fruit.
However, Lindsey says she immediately knew something wasn’t right when her daughter went “very quiet.”
She said: “The colour changed in her face. She went a reddish purple in seconds and her eyes started bulging.
“It looked like she was convulsing because her little body was moving so much in panic. It was terrifying to see someone so small and so delicate panicking.”
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Despite screaming for help, Lindsey quickly realised that it was up to her to save her daughter’s life.
Thankfully, the mum had watched a St John Ambulance video about how to unblock a child’s airway as she had always been “worried about my baby choking”.
After putting Phoebe across her legs with her head on her knees, Lindsey also raised her bottom to add some elevation and help dislodge the fruit.
Although the mum feared she would hurt her daughter, she knew she had to hit her hard in order to save her life.
Luckily after four smacks on the back, the dried mango became dislodged from Phoebe’s throat and she began to breathe again.
Lindsey said: “Within seconds, her colour returned to normal and she was reaching out, asking for food again.”
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The heroic mum has now been nominated for a St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes award after taking one of their first aid courses at work and mentioning how that video had saved her daughter’s life.
The annual award ceremony celebrate people who have saved lives thanks to first aid and will be hosted by Reverend Richard Coles.
The ceremony is split into the categories Young Hero, Community Hero and Workplace Hero and the awards will be held in London on 7 October 2019.
St John Ambulance Chief Executive Martin Houghton-Brown said: “Everyday Heroes is an opportunity for us to reflect and celebrate the inspiring people in communities across the country who are ready to spring into action in health emergencies, when we need them the most.
“Half a million people learn first aid with us every year and with unprecedented pressure on our health service, we are extremely proud to stand with our 14,000 volunteers in support of the doctors, nurses and health professionals of the NHS.
“We know there are untold stories of health heroes all over the country – there will be at least one in your community – and I’d urge you to find and nominate them now.”
You can submit a nomination for the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes Award here.
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