I was heavily pregnant with my third child, Florence, in 2021, when a family member started to choke. One second she was talking, the next she was reaching for her throat and the air just wasn’t moving. My hands went cold before my brain caught up.
The old first aid training I’d done with Daisy First Aid kicked in. Back blows, position, calm — quick and efficient. The doctor later told me it saved her life. That’s the part that still sits in my chest.
These formative experiences will never leave me. I’ve had a few other moments like it — stopping two children from running into the road, once as a teenager in Wales and once in my 30s. Each time, the only thing standing between panic and help was a skill I’d practiced when nobody was watching.
The Why
You don’t need a medical degree to act in a crisis. You need one good hour and the right knowledge. St John Ambulance is a UK charity, and its Save a Life September campaign is exactly that push: it aims to teach 500,000 people vital first aid skills this year.
Here’s the number that should make you bookmark this month: their research found that a third of Britons worry about their baby choking and not knowing what to do. If that’s you, it’s never too late to learn. First or fifth-time parent — the skills don’t care.
My mum, a former teacher and lecturer, has a line I keep in my training journal: worrying is futile, education is key. She was right that day in 2021, and she’s right today.
The How: Your 15-Minute Plan
Here’s the version I’d hand to any parent or training partner in my gym this September. No medical degree required.
Step 1: Watch the baby choking video from the campaign — it’s on the St John Ambulance site (the campaign page). It takes a few minutes. Watch it twice: once to learn, once to find the one move your hands freeze on.
Step 2: Pick a date. Book a short first aid course while September is still on — courses run through the month, so the earlier you book, the calmer the room.
Step 3: Teach one person you love the same moves. Knowledge you keep to yourself is half knowledge. Tell a partner, a grandparent, a training buddy — the 15-minute version, not the textbook version.
Coach’s Math: 15 minutes to watch the video + one course date on your calendar + 15 minutes to teach a friend = the whole campaign, done. That’s it. No waiting until you’re “braver.”
My notebook says: skills rot without a date. Put the date first, the course second.
The Takeaway
Had I been braver, I might have studied medicine. I’m in complete awe of the people working in the field — nothing must feel as rewarding as that. But the good news is you don’t have to become a doctor or a nurse to know what to do in a crisis. You just have to be the person who watched the video this month.
Your Move:
1. Today: watch the baby choking video (5 minutes, on the link above).
2. This week: book a first aid course for September.
3. This month: teach one person the same moves.
Worrying is free. Education is what saves the day.