P8 Hera’s our hero!
Sister’s quick-thing saved mum’s life when she was choking, now family want to spread the message about the importance of first aid
A QUICK-THINKING daughter saved her mum’s life after seeing her choking – now her family want to spread the importance of simple first aid training.
It was just after midnight when Sheba Samra and her daughters were getting ready to go to bed.
Her eldest daughter Jasmin, 25, was at the top of the stairs of the family home in Granville Road, Uxbridge, when she heard a gasping noise coming from her kitchen.
“I ran to the banister and could see mum was running up the stairs and I realised sh breathing.
“I just went into a of panic,” she said grabbed her round t waist but nothing w happening. My sist Selene came into th hallway took one loo at my mum and starte screaming.
“We were whack her on the back bu wasn’t helping that’s I thought oh my god she is going to die in – it was the scariest thing ever.”
Middle sister 20-year-old Serene’s screams had woken Sheba’s youngest daughter Hera, 15.
“She came out of her room, saw my mum’s face, and without thinking started using the Heimlich manoeuvre,” Jasmin said. “She said she got urge of anger and mination and hree thrusts of my mum’s waist she had managed to get the pill out of her throat.
“We looked it up later and she had done everything correctly. She is amazing – we were so lucky she was there and instinct took over – she saved our mum’s life .”
The family’s close-call on Tuesday, August 26, has inspired them to learn first aid and they hope their story will inspire others to do the same.
“Mum is on a three-day first aid course which she booked straight away. We want to raise awareness of how important simple first aid training is, everyone should do it whether you get the chance to at work, or can enrol on a short course.
“It’s so important and it could save someone’s life,” Jasmin said.
ANDREW Farrar, First Aid Training project manager for the British Red Cross (BRC), has some advice if you find an adult choking.
“The first thing you want to do is ask the person if they think they are choking – if they can speak then clearly they are not.
“If they can’t clear the airway and are choking, then you should give up to five back blows, and stop if the airway clears.”
Back blows involve using an upward motion to give sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand, the most effective way, according to the BRC, of removing an object trapped in the airway.
The abdominal thrust – commonly known as the Heimlich manoeuvre – while effectively used by Hera, is advised as a last resort.
“When the airway is trapped it is usually in the throat and the back blow is the most effective method in removing the object,” Mr Farrar said.
Guidance for babies and small children differs to that for adults, if you find a baby or child choking, place them on your knees with their bottom slightly higher than their head and keep their head supported.
Then give the five firm blows on the back as described earlier.
“Don’t be tempted to reach into a child’s mouth if you think they are choking on something – the risk of pushing it further in rather than taking it out is far greater,” Mr Farrar said.
Visit the BRC website at www. redcross.org.uk/firstaid