A WOMAN from Worcestershire who saved her own baby's life is urging people across the county to back a national first aid campaign.

Julie Adams, from Evesham, knows basic medical training helped to save her own child from dying when he just stopped breathing.

Now she has been invited to help promote Learn to Save a Life, with Catherine Hood from BBC TV's 999 programme, in an aim to provide adults across England with basic essential medical training.

The Learning and Skill's Council's campaign's target is to provide first-aid courses more cheaply than ever before and recruit 20,000 more people by 2002 in the process.

Knowledge

From the knowledge Julie gained from a St John Ambulance course, her son Samuel is now a healthy 12-year-old, but in 1989 it could have been very different when he nearly died in his sleep.

"He was asleep in his cot when I noticed he was turning blue. I had to rush over and grab him out of the cot because I knew he wasn't breathing," said Julie.

She quickly cleared his airway and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and eventually colour returned to his face and he began to cry.

"My training was absolutely invaluable on that day and that's why I'm backing this Learn to Save a Life campaign," said Julie.

"I went into auto pilot and knew exactly what to do.

"Everyone, especially parents should have first aid training - you never know when you're going to need it."

For a limited period, the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance centre are offering practical skills and a First Aid Action certificate to the value of £10, thanks to funding from the Learning and Skills council.

People can also learn online with the BBC's First Aid Action website on www.bbc.co.uk/health/firstaid