A QUICK-THINKING mother saved her daughter’s life when the youngster started choking on a sweet.

Elke Haworth from Hassocks knew exactly what to do to help nine-year-old daughter Sophie dislodge the gobstopper which had become lodged in her throat.

The 38-year-old had completed a St John Ambulance first aid course just days before the incident.

Mother-of-three Mrs Haworth is now urging other parents to sign up for a course and learn the basic life-saving skills they need.

The family had been travelling in the car on a weekend trip earlier this month and the children had each been given a gobstopper sweet to eat.

Suddenly Sophie began clapping loudly trying to get their attention.

Mrs Haworth said: “You could see the fear in her eyes. The sweet was lodged in her throat – she wasn’t able to swallow it, or cough it up.

“My husband immediately pulled over on to the hard shoulder and Sophie leaned through the gap between the front seats, where I was able to give her some firm back slaps.

“After the third slap, the sweet flew out.

“It all happened very quickly and, as you can imagine, Sophie was quite upset afterwards.”

Mrs Haworth’s training course had been held at St Lawrence Primary School in Hurstpierpoint.

It had been organised by the parent teacher association and despite having annual first aid training at work, Mrs Haworth felt it was important to learn first aid techniques specifically for children.

She said: “I often have my children’s friends over to play and I’d hate to feel helpless should a situation arise where first aid was needed.

“A first aid course only takes a few hours and covers everything from burns and bleeding, to cardiac arrests. “In my case, the session on choking proved to be invaluable just days later.”

St John Ambulance schools and community training co-ordinator, Marita Edwards, said: “Learning first aid could help you be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.

“It only takes a few hours of your time, but that may be all that’s needed to enable you to help someone who needs it – whether it’s your child, a loved one, a friend or a stranger.”

First aid

St John Ambulance’s website – www.sja.org.uk – offers information on first aid courses, plus a range of videos demonstrating first aid, along with details of its latest campaign ‘The Chokeables’ which shows what to do if a baby chokes. A free first aid app for smartphones is also available via the app store, which gives step-by-step, accessible advice at the touch of a button.