NIKITA Stutchbury from Mulgoa put first aid skills she learned at school into practice and it kept her mum, Nadine, alive.
During the January school holidays, the nine-year-old Mulgoa Public School student had to think fast when her mother suddenly collapsed from a severe allergic reaction.
“When mum fainted my whole body was like, ‘what’s happening, what am I supposed to do?’ and then I went back to first aid at school and I remembered all of that,” Nikita said.
“(They taught me to) call 000, answer all the questions and keep calm … ‘I said: mum is on the floor, she can’t see and she is not breathing properly’.”
At the time, her mother and sister Willow, 5, were the only ones at home, as her father had gone out for a bike ride.
The way Nikita absorbed advice from the St Johns First Aid in Schools Program, and showed mature behaviour during the event, was recognised at the 2015 St John Ambulance Australia (NSW) annual awards this month, where she was given a Save a Life award.
Another great story and reason why we should be training our kids first aid. Although not being able to issue children under 14 with a certificate we at Canberra first aid do allow children from 12 years and over to attend our first aid course in Canberra.