©InfoRobert Karajic’s initial experience of first aid came aged 21, in his native Bosnia, when a friend was hit in the head by shrapnel. Robert said: “Nobody tells you how hard it is to wrap these kind of wounds, even though I was trained in assisting people.”
It was to be the first of many such experiences. He said: “I’ve had the chance, unfortunately, to give first aid quite a few times in my life”.
Life-threatening situations
Even after moving to the UK, Robert helped in several emergencies. Last year, he sprang into action to help someone who was choking. Robert gave the man a blow to the back and saved his life.
In another incident Robert and a friend attended to a man who had collapsed in the gutter. But, despite all his training, Robert found giving first aid worrying: “You think ‘Have we done everything right?’”
Everyday solutions
Recently, Robert took an Everyday First Aid course. The next day, he put the simple approach he had learnt into practice when a man from his boxing club collapsed from overtraining. Robert recalled: “He started losing consciousness and changing colour.”
The man – who weighed over 17 stone – was not easy to deal with, but Robert remembered his Everyday First Aid training. He said: “When he collapsed, I switched off my brain from tick box exercises and just saw the person in front of me.” Having laid the man on his side and ensured he was breathing and comfortable, Robert called an ambulance.
Despite his extensive training and years of experience, when faced with the emergency Robert chose to use Everyday First Aid. He said: “Even though I have given first aid to lots of people, I found Everyday First Aid gave me that extra confidence. It’s so comforting and easy to do. You’re not burdened with all the unnecessary bits. It gives you confidence to do the few simple things necessary to save a life.”