Hero security guard and off-duty medic brought 16-week-old premature baby back to life
Grimsby, Lincolnshire Dec 30 2017
A premature baby who stopped breathing while in an Asda supermarket was bought back to life by a hero security guard and off-duty medic.
Ronny Auckland was born 13 weeks early and developed bronchitis which caused him to have breathing difficulties while his family shopped on Boxing Day.
The tiny baby, who is just 16 weeks old, stopped breathing while the family were shopping at the Asda’s Holles Street store in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
Mother Terri-ann Russell Auckland said the swift action of Asda staff and the medic shopper saved the life of her child.
The 31-year-old, who works at a fish food supplier in Grimsby, said: ‘I can’t thank them enough. I owe them everything for saving my boy’s life.
‘You don’t know what to do is that situation. I just froze. Luckily they were there. It just shows how everyone should be trained in first aid,’ the mother-of-two added.
Trained first aider Mr Walsh was rushed to the chilled aisle after staff alerted him, while hospital medic Mr Franklin, who was shopping, was also directed to the baby.
As he lay on the floor of the aisle, Ronny was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation and received mouth-to-mouth.
Mucus had become stuck in the baby’s airways which caused him to stop breathing.
Minutes later, paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service were on the scene and the infant was taken to hospital.
The 44-year-old security guard said: ‘When I got there his face was blue. There was a crowd of people around him so we got them out the way and myself and the off-duty medic got him breathing again.
Not many people who would have been able to do it. But because we are trained it worked.
‘It shows we are not just big bad security guards, there to get abuse from people.’
Not originally meant to work during the Boxing Day Rush, Mr Walsh added: ‘We just do what we are trained to do. You cope with whatever you are faced with.
Asda’s people trading manager, Moira Pembleton said: ‘We are all incredibly proud of Shaun. He did an amazing job.
‘Everyone else around was running around but he stayed calm throughout. It was an emotional moment for everyone.’
An East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘It is always good to have a trained first aider on duty in a store.
‘It was good that a year ago Asda installed a defibrillator in the store. It is a high-spec one that can be used on children as well as adults.’