The importance of First Aid - Kim’s story
Date: Sunday, June 12th 2016
Categories: All Leicestershire Charnwood Activities & Events
Kim Spencer attends our Carers Support Group in Lougborough and she came along to some First Aid sessions we'd arranged for the group, through St John's Ambulance.
Just a couple of weeks later, Kim was called upon to put her First Aid skills into use, not once, but twice, as she explains:
"I was walking my dog over Beacon Hill in Loughborough, on a bitterly cold and drizzly day. Suddenly, I heard a cry for help. I looked over at the rocks to my right and saw a lady lying there. I rushed over and realised she was lying awkwardly on her back with her head pointing downhill. She was conscious but obviously in pain.
I decided to call for an ambulance. Two weeks before, I'd attended a First Aid session through Support for Carers and was told you can also dial '112' to get through to the emergency services, as well as '999' ('112' is the pan-European number for the Emergency Services across EU countries). I dialled '999' and was asked for our location, which was really difficult to explain as we were in a country park and even though I walk my dog there twice a week, I couldn't think of the names of the roads leading to the car parks. I could only think to tell the operator that the car park was opposite the Charnwood Forest Golf Club. Also, as there are numerous tracks that can be taken from the car park, I described my car to her and told her that it was facing the track I had taken. I also mentioned that there are two aluminium gates along the track that are normally locked, so they would need to get through them with the ambulance.
In the meantime, I tried to help the lady. She said she had fallen from the rocks and, as she was in an awkward position, I decided not to move her. Her hands were grazed a little and she was cold. I used my coat to wrap around her. It was the only thing I had to keep her warm.
I asked her what her name was, but she couldn’t remember, and I was worried she may have a brain injury. She said she wanted to get up, so she could fetch her children from school, but I tried to keep her calm by talking to her.
Her mobile phone rang and I asked if I could get it out of her handbag. It was her husband wondering where she was. I explained what had happened and he said he would come as soon as possible.
The operator stayed on the phone with me for 45 minutes until the ambulance finally arrived. They had trouble getting through the gates as I had predicted. Fortunately, there was a man who works from a hut in the woods, who had a key to the gates.
I was so relieved to see the ambulance crew. Soon after, her husband arrived too. As everything was then under control, I left the scene.
I rang her husband the following day to see how she was and he told me that a helicopter had air-lifted her to hospital. Apparently, she had an object embedded in her side and had to have it surgically removed. I haven’t heard anything since.
A few weeks later, I was driving towards Woodgate, in Bedford Square, Loughborough, when I saw 2 old ladies crossing the road in front of me. They were taking a long time, so I decided to stop to let them cross. One of the ladies was pushing a shopping trolley frame; she tilted the trolley to get it up the kerb, but then suddenly toppled over onto the road.
I got out of my car to help. I remembered what I had been taught at the First Aid session about the ‘DR ABC’ checks, so I quickly went through them. As it happened, the lady had fallen almost in ‘the recovery position’, so there was no need to move her. She was conscious and breathing. I felt relieved at the situation so far, but then was horrified to see blood on the road which was coming from her head! By this time, a crowd started to appear and a passing taxi driver called for the ambulance. I was so grateful that other people were there to help me.
A girl came over from a nearby laundrette and a man appeared with a First Aid kit. We managed to put pressure on the wound, and then more ladies arrived with blankets from the laundrette to wrap around her to keep her warm. Then, fortunately, the lady’s son and daughter arrived. It turned out that the lady was 95 years old and lived in the nearby care home. I don’t know why she was out walking in town as she was wearing slippers; she had dementia and was also deaf. Her daughter said the head wound was probably an old wound that had opened up. Apparently, she had a history of falls.
A paramedic arrived shortly afterwards, followed by the ambulance, 30 minutes later, at which time I left the scene.
I have heard nothing about the incident since, so I don’t know what happened to her."
If you'd like to find out more about learning First Aid please call us on 0845 689 9510 (calls charged at local rates) or email [email protected]
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