©InfoThe Red Cross has provided a special life-saving lesson for a family so they can look out for their youngest member – a seven-year-old boy with a serious heart condition.
Bradley Burhouse has ventricular tachycardia, a serious and rare condition that means he faces the potential risk of cardiac arrest if he exercises, receives a shock or gets too excited.
Bradley still has to wait a couple of months for an investigative operation, and his family wanted to learn first aid so they would be prepared in the meantime if he suddenly needed their help.
First aid emergencies
So they contacted the Red Cross and, within a few days, the entire Burhouse family – mum Toni, dad Simon, grandma Helen and older brothers Dalton (12) and Jack (14) – were getting a private first aid lesson, thanks to the first aid to suit you programme.
Toni recalls: “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to Bradley and I hadn’t done something about trying to help. The session was so simple and now I feel so much more confident, especially since my two older boys – who are likely to be playing with him – also know what to do.”
Bradley’s grandma, Helen, added: “It was great to be reassured you’re unlikely to make things worse by giving first aid in an emergency. Perhaps if more people were aware of that, they’d be more likely to intervene.”
Prepared to help
Susan Flattery, first aid co-ordinator, said: “We were glad to help the family learn first aid. Hopefully they’ll never have to use the skills but at least now they will be prepared should the worst happen.”
The Huddersfield family were taught using Everyday First Aid – the Red Cross’ new, simplified approach to learning life-saving skills. Their session focussed on learning how to give cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) treatment, but they were also taught how to deal with other medical emergencies such burns or bleeding injuries, giving them the confidence to act in any situation.
Learn more about first aid to suit you