Maitham Ali had just seconds to remember his training to save his brother, who was only two days old
Maitham Ali was in his bedroom at his family’s home when he heard a commotion downstairs. The 13-year-old rushed down to find his mum and grandmother panicking as they held his two-day-old brother Mohammad-Jawad.“I asked them what was going on and my dad told me he was choking,” Maitham explains. The newborn had vomited and his 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 – from West London – stayed calm and directed the situation. Drawing on first aid training he had received as a St John Ambulance Cadet, he instructed his mum Raghad on what to do.
“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 says.
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,” says Maitham.
Raghad describes the relief when her newborn began breathing again. “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 says.
“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.”
New St John Ambulance research among 2,000 Britons found that more than a third (34%) worry about their baby choking and not knowing what to do, while almost a quarter (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 says. 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, says: “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 Save a Life September campaign, launching on Tuesday 18 August, 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 adds: “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.”
