The heroic youngsters who saved a life

The heroic youngsters who saved a life

Each of these five plucky youngsters â€" ranging in age from just 11 to 17 â€" is a hero: they all used first aid to save a life. 

And while their stories are all different, they share one thing: a cool, calm, response to a high-stress situation that belies their years.

Now their courage is being celebrated with a nomination for The Mail on Sunday Guy Evans Young Hero of the Year â€" an award named after a 17-year-old motorcyclist who died when basic first aid could have saved him.

Amy Crowther (left) rushed to mother’s aid when she fell ill at home. Placed her in the recovery position after she became unresponsive. Dominic Hollinshead (right) found his mother on her knees having a coughing fit. Realising she was choking, he performed abdominal thrusts from behind… and out popped a pork scratching

Caine Wildman saved his dad’s life by performing CPR on him after he passed out on the sofa and started turning blue. Caine had to call on his first aid skills just two weeks after a training course

The winner will be announced at the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes Awards, in a ceremony hosted by campaigner, TV presenter and acid-attack survivor Katie Piper at the Hilton London Bankside on September 28.

Katie, 33, said: ‘Life is so unpredictable. As these young heroes’ stories all prove, the situations we hope we never find ourselves in do happen. It’s so crucial that we know what to do â€" it can be the difference between life and death.’

Now read our finalists’ inspiring stories â€" and choose which one of the fantastic five will r eceive the award…

The winner will be announced at the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes Awards, in a ceremony hosted by campaigner, TV presenter and acid-attack survivor Katie Piper (pictured)

‘WHEN MUM HAD A HEART ATTACK, INSTINCT TOOK OVER’

Amy Crowther, 15, and her mother Jo, 45, a hospice nurse, above, live with dad Pete, 45, who works for a property company, and brothers Charlie, 13, and Ted, six, in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire.

Amy Crowther (right), 15, saved her mother Jo (left), 45, a hospice nurse when she had a heart attack

Amy says: ‘I usually go to basketball after school on a Tuesday but my class was cancelled, so I came home instead. Mum arrived shortly after with my younger brothers.

‘She said she’d been sick earlier and had a tight chest and sore back, so she went upstairs for a nap.

‘I got my brothers a snack, put a film on for them and then went to check on Mum. She started making strange gargling, snorting noises and her eyes had rolled back.

‘I knew something was really wrong. Instinct took over and I called 999. Because it was just me and my little brothers there, I knew I had to stay calm, even though part of me just wanted to cry.

‘The operator told me to put her in the recover y position and I knew how to do this as we’d had some first aid training at school.

‘When the paramedics arrived, Mum had come round and they thought she was OK but I had to explain to them just how bad things had been. It was only after the tests came back that they realised she’d had a heart attack and put her on the proper medication.

‘I’m just glad my basketball was cancelled and I was there to help.’

‘I ALMOST CUT MY LEG OFF WITH AN AXE’

Emily Budinger, 17, plunged an axe into her leg. As she staunched the bleeding, she gave her pals first aid advice to help a friend who had fainted

Emily Budinger, 17, lives in Horsham, West Sussex, with her teacher mum Melanie, 52, dad Gary, 53, who works in insurance, and brother Matthew, 14.

Emily says: ‘My big accident happened while I was at summer camp in Canada, in the countryside outside Vancouver.

‘We were preparing for a canoeing expedition and practising chopping wood in preparation for our day out in the wilderness. I heard a noise that startled me and the next thing I knew, the axe had gone into my leg. Blood was everywhere and you could see the bone.

‘My body went cold, but my first aid training from Army cadets took over. I’m a senior cadet and teach first aid. I knew elevating my leg would h elp stop the bleeding, so I lay flat and put it on top of the pile of wood. While one of the camp leaders was bandaging me up, I told my two friends how to put another friend â€" who had fainted at the sight of the blood â€" into the recovery position.

‘The leaders managed to get an off-road vehicle to come and drive me to the nearest hospital, which was 40 minutes away.

‘Now I have a big scar on my leg â€" and I’m a walking advert for being careful when you use an axe.’

‘I DID FIRST AID TRAINING DAYS BEFORE DAD COLLAPSED’

Caine Wildman saved his dad Craig (pictured together) by performing CPR on him

Caine Wildman, 14, and his dad Craig, right, a prison officer, live near Wolverhampton with mum Karra, 32, a teaching assistant, and siblings Vinnie, 12, Indy, seven, and Jensen, five.

Caine says: ‘One day in February I came home from school and saw Dad lying on the sofa with the kids running around him. I thought he was just messing around â€" my brother and sisters play rough- and-tumble games all the time. I went upstairs to get changed, but when I came down, Dad was still lying there. He’d gone blue and hadn’t moved.

‘I said his name a couple of times, but when he didn’t answer, I used all my strength to pull him up and on to the floor.

‘There, I put him in the recovery position. I had done a first aid course about two we eks before. I then called an ambulance, rolled Dad on to his back and started CPR.

‘The emergency operator was telling me what to do but I also remembered it from training.

‘When the paramedics arrived, I took my brother and sister out of the room and calmed them down as they were screaming and crying.

‘The consultants at the hospital said Dad had gone into respiratory failure. He’d been ill with pneumonia but didn’t realise he had it. They said I’d saved his life.’

‘A PORK SCRATCHING NEARLY CHOKED MY MUM TO DEATH’

Dominic Hollinshead performed abdominal thrusts on his mother Lisa (pictured together) after she chocked on a pork scratching 

Dominic Hollinshead, 11, and mum Lisa, 44, right, a bakery worker, live in Middlesbrough with his sister Phillipa, 23.

Dominic says: ‘At first, when I heard Mum coughing one night last November, I didn’t think much of it. It was about 9.30pm; I was playing upstairs on the Xbox. But when the coughing carried on, I went downstairs and found her on the kitchen floor on her knees. I asked if she was OK and she didn’t reply. It was really scary seeing her like that.

‘I realised she couldn’t answer because she was choking and couldn’t get any words out. We’d seen a video at school a few weeks before that showed how to do first aid for choking.

‘Standing behind Mum, I clenched m y fist and placed it between her belly button and her ribs. With my other hand, I grasped my fist and pulled sharply inwards and upwards. I had to squeeze about four times, until Mum coughed up what she’d been choking on. I couldn’t believe it was just a pork scratching.

‘She hasn’t touched one since and says she never will again. Afterwards we both cried, thinking about what could have happened.’

‘I SAW THE BOY PLUMMET FROM A SKATE RAMP’

 Ellis Rudge (pictured), 13, swung into action when he saw a boy crash off his scooter

Ellis Rudge, 13, lives in Haverhill, Suffolk, with his father Darren, 30, a machine operator, mother Majella, 33, a carer, and brother Finley, six.

Ellis says: ‘I was at the skate park when I saw a younger boy go up the biggest ramp. His scooter went up, but as it did, he let go of it and fell to the ground.

‘As he got up, I ran over to him and asked if he was OK.

‘He said he felt dizzy. He kept falling asleep and waking up again and then started dribbling.

‘I got my friends to move all the stuff out of the way so I could put him in the recovery position â€" I’m an Army cadet and they teach us first aid.

‘I put my coat under his head to make him comfor table â€" I was worried that he might have a seizure and hurt himself. I got one of my friends to find his dad.

‘When the paramedics arrived, I told them what had happened.

‘About a week after the accident, I visited the boy at home. I wanted to check he was OK.

‘He had some internal bruising to his skull but he recovered. I do feel proud of what I did but also a bit embarrassed as I don’t like the fuss and attention.

‘I just did what I’d been taught to do in cadets and I’d do it again.’

HEALTH COMMENT BY DR ELLIE CANNON  

These heroic storie s are absolutely inspiring and it’s hard to believe some of our lifesavers are as young as 11. 

They were in the middle of perfectly ordinary situations â€" in the park, or at home â€" when their lifesaving skills were suddenly needed. 

They had to react quickly and put their training into action. 

These would have been terrifying and upsetting situations, especially for those young heroes who were helping their own parents. 

Having that first aid training gave them the confidence and skills to save a life. Every year I am in awe of the young people nominated for the Guy Evans award, so much so, in fact, that this year, inspired by the Everyday Heroes, I decided to volunteer for St John Ambulance myself as an event doctor. 

These youngsters really illustrate the importance of what St John Ambulance campaign for: t hat anyone can learn first aid and save a life.

 

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