A 13-year-old boy has relived the moment he saved his newborn brother’s life after
Maitham Ali was in his bedroom at the family’s West London home when he heard a commotion downstairs.
The teenager rushed down to find his mum and grandmother in a state of abject panic.
His two-day-old brother Mohammad-Jawad had vomited and the baby’s airway had become blocked.
He was turning blue and opening his mouth as though trying to take a breath, but no sound was coming out.
As the family panicked, Maitham stayed calm and drew on the first aid training he had received as a St John Ambulance Cadet.
‘I went up to my mum and told her to rest him on her arm, belly first and supporting his head with her hand, and give him back blows. Not too hard, but hard enough to dislodge anything in the airway,’ Maitham said.
After two back blows, Mohammad-Jawad began to cry.
‘My mum was still worried, so I reassured her that because he was crying, it meant his airway was open,’ Maitham added.
The boys’ mum Raghad was understandably relieved. ‘The colour came back and my baby was breathing again. It’s all down to Maitham’s extensive knowledge which he learned with St John,’ she said.
‘I had had no first aid training, so I was sucking Mohammad-Jawad’s mouth and nose to remove the blockage, but the doctor told me later at the hospital that that wasn’t the right thing to do.
‘Maitham was so calm and steady. I couldn’t believe it was him talking. He was telling me what to do, making sure I stayed calm and making sure we got the ambulance called.’
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New St John Ambulance research among 2,000 Britons found that 34% worry about their baby choking and not knowing what to do, while 23% have not learned any first aid.
According to the latest ONS data, 12 children under five died from choking in England between 2020 and 2024, including nine babies.
Mohammad-Jawad was checked by paramedics and made a full recovery. His family credit Maitham’s quick thinking and first aid skills with saving his life.
Raghad now plans to learn first aid herself.
‘It’s very important to know what to do in an emergency,’ she said.
Maitham is a member of the London Polish Cadets in Ealing and joined St John Ambulance as a Badger when he was nine.
His 19-year-old sister Judy was interested in a career in medicine and when Raghad discovered St John Ambulance, she decided to enrol them both.
Maitham had previously planned to work in palaeontology or archaeology, but after his training, and his early lifesaving success, he is now considering a career in medicine.
A week after the incident in June, he successfully completed his Community First Aid course with St John Ambulance.
His unit leader, Tom Canavan, said: ‘While I was amazed by what Maitham had done, I can’t say I was entirely surprised.
‘When it comes to helping others, Maitham has always shown compassion, confidence and a willingness to step forward. Through his time as a St John Ambulance Cadet, he has developed strong first aid skills, but more importantly, he has developed the courage to use them when it really matters.
‘In an emergency, many people can freeze or doubt themselves, but Maitham remained calm, recognised that his mum, dad and baby Mohammad-Jawad needed help and put his training into action.
‘That takes maturity, bravery and self-belief beyond his years.’
Maitham is sharing his story as part of St John Ambulance’s new Save a Life September campaign, which aims to encourage people to learn first aid through free public demonstrations and online guidance.
Throughout September, St John Ambulance first aid volunteers will deliver free demonstrations in public spaces across the country. The campaign aims to give half a million people the confidence to respond when an adult, child or baby is choking, bleeding severely or in cardiac arrest.
Since relaunching Save a Life September in 2024, St John Ambulance has taught more than 800,000 people vital first aid skills.
This year, it aims to reach another 500,000 people through public demonstrations and online guidance, taking the overall total beyond one million.
Tom added: ‘You’re never too young to learn lifesaving skills. A few minutes spent learning how to help someone who is choking, or a few hours learning CPR, how to use an AED or how to respond to a medical emergency, could one day make the difference between life and death.’
