An award sponsored by the Stratford Press for good works in the community has received a nomination for a woman who saved the life of a choking infant.
With nominations now open for the Pride of New Zealand Awards, sponsored by the Stratford Press along with our fellow NZME. news organisations, and the TSB Bank, New Plymouth woman, Pauline Johnstone's name has been put forward.
Pauline works as a real estate agent for Harcourts and was carrying out a pre-settlement inspection at a house she had sold when "we heard a lot of noise outside, and people yelling for help". Pauline told the buyer she was with to call an ambulance while she raced out to provide assistance.
"There was a mum, her baby and three other adults there and no-one knew what to do, the baby was choking badly." "I just took charge," says Pauline, who took the baby and performed a baby compression on the unresponsive child. "I knew it was better to do a baby compression than to do the Heimlich Manoeuvre on a small child, my husband has told me that and I have seen him do it on our daughter before."
Pauline's quick actions mean the infant was fine, having been checked by medical staff at Base Hospital and cleared to go home the same day.