A member of Showsec’s Manchester Christmas Market team has been hailed for preventing a young boy from choking. Cherice Wallen responded to a medical emergency in the city centre by giving first aid treatment when it became apparent a child was in extreme difficulty after an item of food had lodged in his throat.
Although the emergency services had been alerted, Cherice decided to act when she noticed the boy turning blue and performed the Heimlich Maneuver to dislodge a piece of food.
Operations Executive David Bradshaw, who is responsible for overseeing Showsec’s security operation at the market, said: “Cherice’s ability to remain calm in such a terrifying situation and her swift response to the emergency saved a child’s life. The family involved were immensely grateful for her actions and returned later with a gift and a card that simply read: ‘Thanks for saving my Life’.
“This was above and beyond the service which we offer, but that is something Cherice strives for in each shift that she works for Showsec.”
As well as the boy’s parents, management of the Christmas market have also presented her with a gift in recognition. Cherice said: “I was just doing my job. I always try to do my very best to help members of the public. That’s an essential part of the role.
“The significance of what I had done didn’t really hit me until afterwards when I was back at my position and I saw the parents cuddling the young boy. It was then that I was overcome by the emotion of it all and there were a few tears shed.
“At the time, you don’t stop to think about what you are doing, you just get on with using the skills you have developed to deal with the situation in front of you. I decided at a very early point in my time with Showsec to go and acquire some first aid training with St John Ambulance. This is most definitely one of those occasions when it all seemed worthwhile because you cannot put a price on a life.”
The boy was given a clean bill of health by the ambulance service when they arrived on the scene and was able to continue on his day out.
Cherice Wallen is pictured at work at this year’s Kasabian open-air rock concert in Leicester.
