Would you know what to do if a child began to choke?

For a woman in Herefordshire whose two year old daughter had put a 20 pence piece in her mouth, the answer was to slap her on the back. Easy to do, but also easy to forget in the heat of the moment.

Two slaps were enough for the girl to cough up the coin but, had it not been for attending a Herefordshire Heartstart course, mother Amanda Ingram would have panicked.

Amanda, 38, from Hereford said: “My daughter Natasha started making a choking noise. I did feel a little scared but I pulled her to me, leant her over my arm and gave two back-slaps. Thank God, she coughed it up on the second slap. There were a few tears and cuddles, but she seemed OK.”

Amanda knew what to do thanks to Herefordshire Heartstart which teaches the management of choking, as well as chest pain, severe blood loss and loss of consciousness. The free two-hour course also teaches techniques such as CPR.

Amanda said: “Thank you very much because I would have panicked even more. I felt more confident and happy with what I had to do.”

Anyone aged 10 or over can sign up to a Herefordshire Heartstart course. For more information, visit www.herefordshireheartstart.org or email info@herefordshireheartstart.org or contact the Co-ordinator/project Manager Loraine Coleman on 0845 60 60 654.

Herefordshire Heartstart is a registered charity (no. 1082309), supported by West Midlands Ambulance Service.