Nurse issues warning to parents after saving 6mo baby’s life in Sydney park

“I was laser-focused, running through my training in my mind, ready to do whatever it took to save that little girl.”

It can take only a few seconds for everything to go horribly wrong. 

Heidi Young, a nurse and mum, was attending a birthday party barbecue at a Sydney park with her sons in 2019 when she began hearing an infant’s cries. 

Nearby was a six-month-old girl who was struggling to breathe; something was lodged in her throat, and she was becoming unresponsive.

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Heidi saved the 6mo's life with her training. Picture: 7News

“Everything slowed down in that moment”

The infant had swallowed a small piece of sausage, which had become stuck in her airway and caused severe distress. 

The nurse heard the frantic screams from the child’s mother and rushed over to the choking baby, who was starting to turn grey. 

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“It was pretty full on,” she recalled to 7News. 

Armed with 20 years of experience as a nurse across the UK and Australia, Heidi leapt into action and tried to clear the baby’s airway. 

She began by giving the baby back blows to try and dislodge the piece of sausage, but it wasn’t working, even after nearly five attempts. 

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“Everything slowed down in that moment,” she said. 

“I was laser-focused, running through my training in my mind, ready to do whatever it took to save that little girl.” 

After realising the back blows weren’t working as expected, Heidi flipped the 6mo over with the hopes of performing CPR. 

Suddenly, the baby vomited and gasped for air; the piece of food that lodged in her throat had cleared, and she was breathing regularly once again. 

“Relief” washed over Heidi’s body as she watched the 6mo’s breathing return to normal, but it took a while before the mum could regain her thoughts. “I was sitting on my hands for a little bit afterwards because they were shaking, even though it was a good outcome,” she said. 

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“I knew what to do because I had the training”

Thanks to Heidi’s extensive training in CPR and emergency citations, the baby was able to return to normal/ However, without this training, the outcome could have been far different. 

“I knew what to do because I had the training,” she said. “I acted on instinct, without hesitation... I didn't pause to think; I simply acted. That's the kind of confidence I want every parent to have when faced with an emergency.” 

Following the terrifying incident, Heidi is urging other parents to know how to respond to emergency situations such as choking or an allergic reaction. 

“If it hadn't been for my training, the outcome could have been devastating,” she said. “Every parent deserves to feel equipped and empowered to protect their children.”

If your child is choking, Health Direct recommends keeping the child calm and asking them to cough to try and remove whatever is lodged in their throats. 

Call Triple 0 and ask for an ambulance if the food fails to come out. 

If coughing isn’t working, bend the person forward and give them up to five back blows between their shoulder blades with the heel of your palm. 

For infants under one, place the baby on your forearm, with their head lower than their body and their mouth open. 

Give them five short, sharp blows to their back to help dislodge the item, but if that fails, place two fingers on the lower half of the baby’s breastbone and give up to five thrusts on their chest.

Originally published as Nurse issues warning to parents after saving 6mo baby’s life in Sydney park