GEORGINA’S COLLEGE-TAUGHT SKILLS PROVE A LIFE-SAVER

An @OldhamCollege student has used skills she learnt on campus to make her mum’s birthday memorable – by helping to save her life.

Cool-headed Georgina Hagan, 18, who is doing a Level 3 Law course, is encouraging other students and staff to take First Aid training after the drama unfolded at their family home in Blackley last Saturday.

She had just received a takeaway delivery to share with her mum, Lesley, who was celebrating her 53^rd birthday that day.

“We had waited about 40 minutes – we were starving,” said Georgina.

“My Mum had taken all the wrapping off the food. She sat down on the sofa and she bit into a chicken strip – and froze.

“It was like the world had stopped.

“I could clearly see that her eyes had started to water.

“She looked at me – I looked at her.

“I pretty much knew that she was choking. Mum has done First Aid training herself, but she was panicking.”

Georgina sprang into action knowing that what happened in the next few seconds was going to be crucial.

“I reassured mum that she was still breathing”, she said.

“I told her to start coughing, and she was trying to do that, but her face eventually was starting to turn red and a little bit blue.

“Even though I could see she was struggling to breathe at this point, I stayed calm. I kept reassuring her to keep coughing, and she then ran to the sink and the piece of chicken finally came out.

“If it hadn’t have come out, I would have known what to do – but it was a little bit crazy: it all happened within about two minutes.”

Earlier this week, Georgina contacted Sulbia Khanam-Quddus, her Finance and Professional Tutor Assessor at Oldham College, to tell her what had happened and say how grateful she was to have had the First Aid training.

Sulbia had organised the session for Georgina’s Law group earlier this year through the Enrichment team.

Georgina can be seen on the course in this photograph getting instruction from John Watters of the St John’s Ambulance Service.  

Lesley is now fully recovered and Georgina’s experience, terrifying though it no doubt was, shows the value of Enrichment activities – and that what is taught at Oldham College matters in the real world.

“I’m extremely happy with the First Aid training”, said Georgina. “I would encourage other people to consider taking this course themselves, because you never know – like me – when you might need it.”