St John Ambulance and Channel Mum are seeking nominations for hero parents who have used first aid on their own child as part of the charity’s Everyday Heroes awards.

The Hero Parent of the Year category must be a parent, carer or guardian and nominations can be made for an individual or a couple.

Elizabeth Harper, Regional Director, said: “Parents are always their children’s heroes but some parents are even life savers. The Hero Parent of the Year award celebrates parents who have used first aid on their child. This could be helping their baby from choking when first being weaned or putting them in the recovery position if they have a seizure to even performing CPR in an emergency situation. If you know a parent who has helped their child in this way do get in touch and nominate them.”

This year’s finalists will be invited to an exclusive awards ceremony at the Hilton London Bankside on 28 September.

Alongside the awards, Channel Mum and St John Ambulance have teamed up with TV’s Dr Dawn Harper for a series of videos explaining the basic first aid skills all parents should have, plus how to spot the signs of serious illnesses and allergies, which may require immediate medical attention.

Dr Dawn Harper explains the best treatment for burns, how to react if a child is choking, how to perform CPR and what you should do if your child has a seizure. Plus, there’s also advice on allergies, spotting the signs and symptoms of meningitis and sepsis and how to control a fever.

The free-to-watch seven-video series includes expert tips from Dr Dawn and real-life experiences from mummy vloggers. The videos are available to watch at www.channelmum.com/firstaidcourse

Siobhan Freegard, founder of ChannelMum.com said: “Giving first aid to a baby or child can be frightening, but not as frightening as not knowing what to do. We want to reassure parents they can learn first aid basics quickly, that could make all the difference if their child or someone else’s falls ill.”

Visit www.sja.org.uk/everydayheroes to nominate before entries close midnight on 23 April 2017.

Article supplied by Kate Rutsch