Supermarket staff were heroic in rescuing a baby who swallowed his tongue while out shopping with his family.
Lucy Barkham was doing her usual shopping at Asda’s branch in Worsbrough, South Yorkshire, with her partner Calum and three children, when she noticed her youngest was trembling in his pushchair.
One-year-old Ronnie had swallowed his tongue after experiencing a febrile convulsion, but was saved by quick-thinking staff members Jackie Walker and Chris Nelson who came to the rescue.
Lucy credits Jackie and Chris with saving her son’s life, and expressed her family’s immense gratitude for their quick response.
The 27-year-old said: ‘We can’t thank Jackie and Chris enough for what they did that day – they saved Ronnie’s life.
‘They were so quick and everyone there was so understanding.
‘We were at the end of our shop and we were just getting our last bits when we noticed Ronnie trembling in his pushchair – I just shouted for help as I didn’t know what was happening.
‘My partner got him out of the pushchair and then Jackie took over while another colleague called for an ambulance.
‘I was beside myself at this point as Ronnie had gone blue in the face.
‘I thought he was dying and it was so frightening.
‘One minute he was fine and the next minute he was shaking.
‘It turned out he’d had a seizure and had choked on his tongue- It was a really scary time for everyone.’
But it was all in a day’s work for grandmother-of-seven Jackie who, after saving the baby’s life, returned to her checkout soon after Ronnie was taken to Barnsley Hospital, where doctors found that he had a throat infection causing a high temperature and the seizure.
After an emotional reunion, the 62-year-old said: ‘It was great to see Ronnie again – the last time I saw him he was such a poorly baby, but now he’s a rosy-cheeked little chunk.
‘After seeing them all terrified and upset it was great to see a happy wee family.
‘The day Ronnie stopped breathing was a day he won’t remember, but one the rest of us won’t forget.
‘One of my colleagues rushed down to me saying there was a baby who had gone blue and if I knew what to do.
‘I asked Calum if I could take the baby from him as he was just limp and not breathing.
‘I turned him upside down and patted him on the back, but nothing was happening, so I put my fingers in his throat to see if there was anything stuck, but I couldn’t see anything.
‘I gave him another whack on the back and then Chris took over and thumped him on the back too.
‘We got him breathing again for about two minutes but then he stopped again for a few seconds.
‘He started again just before the paramedics came and took over – it was such a relief that he started to breathe again, it really was.
'At the time, the adrenaline took over and I knew I had to get things done, but afterwards, I was a bit shaky.'
'Chris remained calm throughout it all. He was excellent.'
After being a literal lifesaver, it was soon back to the usual routine.
Jackie added: 'The whole incident only lasted five or six minutes, but it felt a lot longer.'
'After Ronnie was taken to the hospital, I just went back to my checkout.'
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