Have you ever nearly choked on a piece of food while you're eating? It's one of the worst feelings, and within seconds, panic can set in, but normally it's a false alarm. However, what if it wasn't? In the back of your mind you hope, you believe, that somebody will know how to help. But do they?
Sadly, the statistics don't look promising. Nearly two-thirds of people wouldn't feel confident trying to save a life, a shocking number when you find out that around 150,000 people a year could have been given the chance to live if somebody had provided them with first aid.
Unfortunately accidents can happen at any time. I was in a supermarket once when a child started choking on a sweet. The Mum didn't know what to do, but because I knew first aid I picked the little girl up, gave her a hard back slap and the sweet came flying out. It's so easy to do - if you know how. And now's your chance to learn.
If someone you knew needed first aid, would you know what to do? St John Ambulance believes that everybody should have the essential skills to help a person in need. That's why we've launched Save a Life September this year, to raise awareness about how first aid can be the difference between life and death.
Throughout September, we're giving hundreds of free first aid demos across the country, where you and your friends and family could learn how to save a life using five easy to follow techniques. We'll even give you a free pocket-sized first aid guide to keep on you in case of an emergency. If you're interested in finding a demonstration you should visit www.sja.org.uk/sals but even if you can't make it, you can prepare yourself for the unexpected by downloading our iPhone app, which offers the same information at the touch of a button.
It's also World First Aid Day on Saturday, a day held to raise public awareness of how first aid can save lives in every day situations, so there's really no better time to learn.
So what are you waiting for? We believe that no one should die because they needed first aid and didn't get it. By holding first aid demos across the country this month, we want to equip as many people as possible with skills to save a life - people like you!