A seven-year-old boy from Cardiff has a special reason to say thanks to his Mum this mother’s day, after she used her first aid training to save his life.

Leo Davies, who lives in Whitchurch and goes to Ysgol Gymraeg Melin Gruffydd, was saved by his Mum, 39-year-old teacher Carla Davies, when he choked on some sweets at a birthday party.

Luckily, Carla had been trained in first aid by St John Wales and knew exactly what to do.

Carla, who is also mum to Lily, aged 4, said, “We were at a birthday party in a pizza restaurant and the kids were eating dessert, when I noticed Leo was trying to get my attention. He was going red in the face and struggling to breathe. Leo’s a bit of a joker and I wasn’t sure at first if he was messing around. But when I asked him if he was choking he nodded and I could see the panic in his eyes.

“I ran around the table and gave him a few really hard back blows. Some sweets came flying out of his mouth but he still couldn’t breathe. The other kids were starting to panic and I quickly lifted Leo off his chair, stood him on the floor and gave him an abdominal thrust, and the remaining sweet came flying out.

“Both Leo and I were really shaken up after the incident. But I was glad I had been able to stay calm in the moment and deliver the first aid skills I’d been shown.”

Leo said, “I was eating my ice cream really fast and didn’t realise there were sweets in it, until some went down the wrong way and I couldn’t breathe. When Mum popped the sweet out, it came shooting out like a bullet!

“It was really scary but my Mum was brilliant and I’m so glad she was there.”

Carla had attended a St John Wales first aid course through her workplace, Whitchurch High School, where she works as an English teacher. She also runs LANES education, a holiday programme that helps children develop their English and Maths skills.

Jon Phillips, director of training at St John Wales said, “Carla and Leo’s experience shows that knowing what to do in those vital first minutes of an emergency situation could dramatically increase your chance of survival and I’m so pleased to hear that Leo was OK, thanks to Carla’s knowledge.

“Our aim is to have a first aider on every street in Wales and I’d advise parents to learn first aid by signing up to a course, watching our BabySafe child and infant first aid films on our website, or downloading our free first aid app.”

St John Wales are offering Child & Infant First Aid courses for just £15 per person during April. Find out more here or call 0845 678 5646 quoting ‘thanksmum’.