My First Aid Origin Story
Jan. 17th, 2024 06:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dizzojay Some of you may be aware I'm a first aider and have been for a very long time. My qualification is due for renewal again this summer and that prompted me to post on my Linked in account.
I don't tend to post much on my Linked in account, as I like to keep business stuff in, well, business hours. But every now and again I like to stick something on there to keep it relevant in case I need to use it for job hunting at any point in the future.
I've been passionate about first aid and making it as accessible to as many people as possible for a long time, and there's one very specific reason for that. And that's what I posted about...
This is my 'first aid origin story'!
I don't tend to post much on my Linked in account, as I like to keep business stuff in, well, business hours. But every now and again I like to stick something on there to keep it relevant in case I need to use it for job hunting at any point in the future.
I've been passionate about first aid and making it as accessible to as many people as possible for a long time, and there's one very specific reason for that. And that's what I posted about...
This is my 'first aid origin story'!
I can’t believe the time has come around again for me to start thinking about renewing my first aid qualification. I’ve been a first aider for so long now, it feels like it’s in my DNA.
But it wasn’t always the case.
In 1991 I was on a busy train at Preston station on my way up to Fleetwood for a work project, and the elderly man sitting next to me started snoring. At first I thought it was funny. Then I realised it wasn’t. The poor man looked terrible – he was grey, his lips were blue and I now know (thanks to first aid training) that what I was hearing was agonal breathing; a sound associated with severe respiratory distress, for instance during a heart attack.
And the worst thing was that I had absolutely no idea what to do.
In blind panic, the only thing I could think to do was to stand up, pull the emergency cord and call out for a doctor or nurse in the carriage.
Luckily two men answered my call and within minutes they had the poor man laid out in the aisle of the carriage and were administering CPR while I looked on like a stupefied rabbit in headlights.
Over the next few days, I relived the experience over and over in my head. I didn’t know whether the poor man survived - I sincerely hope he did, and I didn’t know if there was anything more anyone could have done to help him. The one thing I did know, however was that I never wanted to feel that helpless again.
In the space of a day I went from being someone who didn’t give first aid a thought to being a passionate advocate of it.
The following week when I was back in my usual office, I asked to be sent on a first aid training course as soon as possible.
When I renew my qualification this summer, that will take me to 33 years serving as a first aider, and I will continue to do so as long as I’m physically able to.
My message to you all is, don’t be 23-year-old me! If you’re not trained already, go and do it. Give yourself the most amazing gift possible – the knowledge and ability to potentially preserve a life, or at least comfort and support someone when they are sick or hurting. That someone could, one day, be family or a friend.
First aid training is so easy to source, and can take as little as half a day. Not only will you be upskilling yourself, you’ll also be helping your employer to comply with or even exceed health and safety regulations.
First aid training is interesting, it’s interactive and fun. Hey, sometimes it can even be glamorous!!! 😅
But it wasn’t always the case.
In 1991 I was on a busy train at Preston station on my way up to Fleetwood for a work project, and the elderly man sitting next to me started snoring. At first I thought it was funny. Then I realised it wasn’t. The poor man looked terrible – he was grey, his lips were blue and I now know (thanks to first aid training) that what I was hearing was agonal breathing; a sound associated with severe respiratory distress, for instance during a heart attack.
And the worst thing was that I had absolutely no idea what to do.
In blind panic, the only thing I could think to do was to stand up, pull the emergency cord and call out for a doctor or nurse in the carriage.
Luckily two men answered my call and within minutes they had the poor man laid out in the aisle of the carriage and were administering CPR while I looked on like a stupefied rabbit in headlights.
Over the next few days, I relived the experience over and over in my head. I didn’t know whether the poor man survived - I sincerely hope he did, and I didn’t know if there was anything more anyone could have done to help him. The one thing I did know, however was that I never wanted to feel that helpless again.
In the space of a day I went from being someone who didn’t give first aid a thought to being a passionate advocate of it.
The following week when I was back in my usual office, I asked to be sent on a first aid training course as soon as possible.
When I renew my qualification this summer, that will take me to 33 years serving as a first aider, and I will continue to do so as long as I’m physically able to.
My message to you all is, don’t be 23-year-old me! If you’re not trained already, go and do it. Give yourself the most amazing gift possible – the knowledge and ability to potentially preserve a life, or at least comfort and support someone when they are sick or hurting. That someone could, one day, be family or a friend.
First aid training is so easy to source, and can take as little as half a day. Not only will you be upskilling yourself, you’ll also be helping your employer to comply with or even exceed health and safety regulations.
First aid training is interesting, it’s interactive and fun. Hey, sometimes it can even be glamorous!!! 😅
