A MOTHER who still remembers the panic she felt when her young baby was choking is now offering free first aid classes to parents to help them stay calm in emergency situations.
Laura Burnett, 28, of Springbank Close, Carlton, will be providing parents with the essential life saving skills needed so parents know how to react if a child is choking or in need of urgent medical attention.
Laura began teaching first aid 18 months ago when she joined her father-in-law and husband’s business, MHE Services Limited.
The family run business delivers workplace training for those who use forklifts, cranes, and material handling.
The former shop assistant believed that the company could deliver more, so she joined her husband Rob and father-in-law Dave and began delivering first aid training and mental health first aid training to businesses.
With the classes running successfully and the company keen to give something back to the community, Laura, Dave and Rob decided to offer free first aid training to parents to help them deal with some of the frightening aspects of parenting.
The class, named ‘Learn to Save a Child’, was especially important to the family after Laura suffered a scare herself.
“When my oldest daughter was a baby, she choked, and as a first time mum it was a scary experience and I really panicked,” said Laura.
“Thankfully she was OK but the experience stays with you.
“I learned first aid and if my daughter or my one-year-old son was to choke now, I’d know exactly what to do.
“I know that so many parents don’t know what to do if their child is choking and panicking is probably one of the worst things you can do because you need to act quickly.
“Knowing these skills and teaching it to others makes my job worthwhile because I’m giving something back and parents will leave the course feeling confident and with the knowledge of what to do in an emergency situation.
“We cover CPR, AED, the recovery position, febrile convulsions and choking, which are the main emergency situations that parents panic over.”
Laura will be running the two-hour classes once a month at the Acorn Centre and the next session will be held on July 23.
She said: “Running the classes for free will give parents the opportunity to learn something that can save a life. There is no price on that. If a parent who cannot perhaps afford to pay for a first aid course, I will be able to teach you these vital skills.”
To book onto the course email admin@mheservices.co.uk or call 491432.
