Quick-thinking teen saves baby

Nicola KalmarBroome Advertiser

A courageous Broome teenager saved the life of a two-month-old baby - just weeks after completing a first-aid training course.

St Mary's College student Kirra-Lee Stone was checking in at Adelaide Airport with her mother and brother a few weeks ago after a camping trip when staff frantically called out for first-aid assistance.

The student dropped her luggage and rushed towards a distressing scene of a grandmother holding a baby who had lost consciousness.

The quick-thinking teenager applied compressions to the two-month-old girl until an ambulance arrived.

The incident occurred while the 17-year-old and her family were checking in for their flight back to Broome.

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"I saw a little commotion and mum was like 'oh it's a baby' and I could see no one else was going so I looked at mum again and then just dropped my bags and just went."

Kirra-Lee said she found the infant lying in her grandmother's arms with a blue complexion, and acted immediately.

A few minutes later, a policeman arrived at the scene to offer additional support.

The teenager said the scene was distressing, with the baby's mother standing nearby in hysterics, but she remained calm and focused.

"I just ignored her and did my job," she said.

"I was just like, concentrate on the baby."

The infant was rushed to the Women's and Children's Hospital.

Just weeks before the incident, the Year 12 student had undertaken an intensive two-day first-aid training course at St John Ambulance Broome as part of her certificate III in health services through Notre Dame University.

The plucky teenager said a nurse told her mother her actions had saved the baby's life.

"I was just doing my job," she said.

"It was a situation where you had to do something and I did do something which helped.

"I just thought I hope the baby is OK, I've done my job, I did what I could."

A media spokeswoman at the hospital confirmed the baby has since made a full recovery and was recently discharged from hospital.

The teenager said she was glad she was able to assist in the emergency, and believed everyone should learn first-aid.

"I think it should be part of the curriculum council to do first- aid," she said.

"It's a valuable certificate to have - it could potentially save someone's life."

The teenager, who is planning to study nursing and midwifery when she completes Year 12 in a few weeks, said the incident had cemented her desire to pursue her chosen career.

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