Special guest motivates parents to learn vital skills

Royal Life Saving WA is working to ensure all parents and carers of young children have access to learn important first aid and CPR skills that will enable them to respond should they need to save their child’s life. These skills are even more vital for parents in regional areas of our state where their remote location may mean that emergency assistance is more difficult to come by.

Recently Royal Life Saving Pilbara Development Officer Lauren Thompson trained a group of parents in South Hedland in these vital skills through a Heart Beat Club course hosted at the YMCA Child and Parent Centre. The Heart Beat Club course aims to increase skills and confidence in performing CPR and First Aid on infants and children. In addition to resuscitation, the course covers injuries common among children such as burns and scalds, choking and various water hazards that present a risk of drowning.

15 Parents and careers attended the recent session in Hedland and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so popular that another Heart Beat Club has been requested in the next school term to cater for those who missed out due to the last session reaching capacity.

Trainer Lauren Thompson said the session was made even more special by the attendance of a very special guest, Master Marshall Hilzinger (pictured left). “Marshall was the victim of a non-fatal drowning in early April. He was rescued by his 12-year-old cousin and resuscitated by adults close at hand. Being able to watch Marshall play as a happy, healthy 3-year-old throughout the session was a powerful motivator for the participants to engage and learn CPR.”

Everyone who attended the session expressed absolute appreciation and said that the delivery and content provided was extremely informative and practical. The event was made possible thanks to funding from Principal Community Partner BHP.

You can find out more about our Heart Beat Club and how you can get involved at the link below.