'22 lives saved': Leeds first aid trainer shares stories behind big milestone
‘I want more people to feel able to step forward and help’
A Leeds first aid trainer has revealed how people who completed her courses have gone on to save at least 22 lives, as she marks 20 years of training.
Helen Underwood, founder and director of Underwood Training, said she had heard accounts from people who used their skills to save family members, friends and strangers in emergencies.
The Leeds-based business has trained more than 20,000 people since it was founded in 2006.
Among the stories shared with Helen was that of a restaurant owner whose husband suffered a medical emergency just weeks after she completed a first aid course.
Her prompt CPR helped save his life.
Other learners have used their training to help babies and children suffering from anaphylaxis, severe asthma attacks and life-threatening seizures.
Two toddlers in separate families were also helped after choking caused complete airway blockages.
One learner stepped in to help someone having a seizure in Leeds city centre.
Helen said: "When someone tells you they've used what you taught them to help their own child, partner or neighbour, it brings home what first aid training is really about.
"From the accounts shared with me, I now know of 22 lives saved, alongside other incidents where prompt first aid prevented further harm or made a significant difference.
"These are people's children, parents, friends and colleagues. And these are only the stories that reach us. We'll never know the full impact of the skills people take away from their training."
One particularly personal account involved a friend of Helen's who saved her baby's life using CPR just three days after learning the skill.
The experience inspired Helen to create her online course, Big Sick, Little Sick?! First Aid for Parents, aimed at helping parents feel confident responding to emergencies involving their children.
A 2024 UK survey commissioned by St John Ambulance found just 43 per cent of respondents said they knew how to perform CPR, while 26 per cent had never learnt any first aid.
Helen said: "Everyone needs the opportunity to learn these skills. I want more people to feel able to step forward and help when someone needs them."
She founded Underwood Training after occupational asthma and a latex allergy forced her to leave her NHS physiotherapy career.
The business is based at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm in Leeds and provides training for workplaces, schools, healthcare teams and families.
Its 20th anniversary also follows the publication of the fifth edition of The ABCDE of First Aid, co-authored by Helen and former NHS resuscitation lead Fran Woodcock.
Helen added: "You never know when someone will need your help. Simple Skills Save Lives."