As four-month-old Oliver Church cuddles his favourite firefighter teddy bear, he is blissfully unaware of the significance this little toy holds for him and his family.
He was given the bear by Inverness-based firefighter Gary Curran, who saved his life by giving Oliver CPR when he was just eight weeks old. Now, Curran has been nominated for the Scottish First Aid Awards later this month.
“Gary was there at a moment in need and saved my baby’s life,” said Oliver’s mum, Camilla Church, 31, from Perth. Two days after Christmas last year, Church was walking with Oliver in baby carrier on Inveralmond Industrial Estate in Perth when she suddenly noticed he had turned blue and had stopped breathing.
Luckily, Curran, who was off-duty, was nearby and able to perform immediate, life-saving CPR. Drawing on years of training, he calmly guided Camilla to perform rescue breaths on her baby while he performed chest compressions.
“After doing that three times Oliver started coming around,” he recalled.
The 10th annual Scottish First Aid Awards organised by the St Andrew’s First Aid charity will be held in Glasgow on March 31 to celebrate Scotland’s life-saving first responders with the ceremony highlighting the importance of learning crucial first aid skills.
“There are many courses available,” said Curran.
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