Recently, second year student formerly of Sirius Academy West, Wehad Darwish, found herself unexpectedly thrown into a life-or-death situation.
On a regular evening in her family home, Wehad noticed some unusual signs and behaviours in her close family-friend who was visiting. Although subtle, they ignited an unwavering response within Wehad that something was alarmingly wrong and prompted her to take immediate action. Her family-friend was going into cardiac arrest.
Without hesitation Wehad was performing life-saving CPR on her family-friend who was now in a state of medical emergency. This life-saving skill Wehad just so happened to have learnt two weeks prior by volunteering to be part of an Upskilling Programme at Wilberforce.
The Introduction to Pre-hospital Emergency Care activity is for those students who are considering a career in pre-hospital care patient management, working primarily on ambulances, such as an Emergency Care Assistant, Urgent Care Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic or those students who are considering a career as a Nurse. Wehad, who studies the BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science, has career aspirations to follow a pathway into the health industry and so signed-up for the activity to benefit her skillset and future CV… little did she know that she would be using the CPR elements of her training in a real situation so soon!
Pictured right is Wehad in our on-site hospital care ward at Wilberforce Sixth Form College.
As a college, we join Wehad’s family in being so immensely proud of her for how she dealt with this traumatic situation, handling herself in a way that would surpass the nerves of many people twice her age. Not only did Wehad’s actions on that evening save the patient’s life, but even after the ambulance service arrived at the scene Wehad continued in her role providing post-hospital care and acting as an advocate on her behalf due to a language barrier.
Pictured left is Wehad and an extremely proud Stewart Edwards, Assistant Principal and leader of the Pre-hospital Emergency Care activity.
Wehad is now inspired more than ever to seek out volunteering opportunities and continue on her pathway towards her future career. She implores anyone “young or old, whatever your interests are, to learn the life-saving skill of CPR because you never know when you might need it.”
All Wilberforce students can have access to learning this essential skill, with those who complete the Upskilling activity receiving the QNUK Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF) qualification which is valid for three years and the QNUK Level 3 Award in Responding to incidents with an AED (RQF) qualification.
