A 13-year-old showed remarkable calm and preparedness on August 19, 2026, when he saved his newborn brother, Mohammad-Jawad, who was choking at his home in West London, United Kingdom. The family was in panic, but young Maitham Ali applied his first aid knowledge to clear the airways of the two-day-old baby.
Calm and preparedness in a family emergency
Maitham Ali was in his room when he heard a loud commotion coming from downstairs. When he got down, he found his mother and grandmother in complete despair. Little Mohammad-Jawad had vomited, and his airway was blocked, causing the baby to turn blue and try to breathe without making a sound. Amid the general panic, Maitham remained calm and quickly remembered the first aid training he received as a St John Ambulance cadet.
How the teenager acted to save his brother
The teenager approached his mother and instructed her precisely on what to do. “I went to my mother and told her to support him on her arm, face down, and support his head with her hand, and pat him on the back. Not too hard, but enough to clear his airways,” said Maitham. After two light blows to the back, Mohammad-Jawad began to cry. The baby’s crying indicated that his airways were clear, calming the mother who was still worried.
The boys’ mother, Raghad, expressed her relief at seeing the baby’s color return and him breathing again, attributing it all to Maitham’s “vast knowledge which he gained from St John”. She revealed that her first reaction was to try to unclog her son’s mouth and nose by sucking them, a method that a doctor later confirmed was not correct. Raghad described her son Maitham as “so calm and collected”, unable to believe that he was the one dictating her actions, ensuring that she remained calm while they waited for the ambulance.
Warning about the risk of choking in babies in the UK
This incident highlights the vital importance of first aid knowledge, especially for parents and caregivers. A recent survey conducted by St John Ambulance of 2,000 Brits revealed worrying data. Around 34% of respondents express great concern about the possibility of their babies choking and not knowing what to do, while 23% admitted they have no knowledge of first aid.
These numbers take on an even darker context with statistics from the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics (ONS). Between 2020 and 2024, 12 children under five died from asphyxiation in England, nine of them babies. This data highlights the critical gap in emergency training and the urgent need to empower the population with life-saving skills.
The impact of training and changing career plans
Maitham’s intervention was essential to the complete recovery of Mohammad-Jawad, who was examined by paramedics and is doing well. The family attributes the baby’s survival to the teenager’s quick thinking and first aid skills. Following the incident, Raghad now plans to learn first aid on his own, recognizing that “it’s very important to know what to do in an emergency.”
Maitham is a member of the London Polish Cadets in Ealing and joined St John Ambulance as a “Badger” (child paramedic) at the age of nine. His sister Judy, aged 19, who showed an interest in pursuing a career in the medical field, was an inspiration for the family to pursue St John Ambulance. Before the incident, Maitham had plans to work in paleontology or archaeology, but his success in saving his brother made him consider a career in medicine. A week after the incident, in June, he completed the Community First Aid course offered by St John Ambulance.
“Save a Life” campaign encourages first aid learning
Tom Canavan, head of the Maitham unit at St John Ambulance, said he was impressed but not surprised by the young man’s achievement. “Maitham has always demonstrated compassion, confidence and a willingness to act,” said Tom. The chief highlighted that during his time as a cadet, Maitham developed solid skills and, more importantly, the courage to use them in crucial moments. “In an emergency, many people might freeze or doubt themselves, but Maitham remained calm, recognized that his mother, father and baby Mohammad-Jawad needed help and put his training into practice. This requires maturity, courage and self-confidence beyond his years.”
Maitham is sharing his story as part of St John Ambulance’s new ‘Save a Life’ campaign, which runs in September. The initiative aims to encourage people to learn first aid through free public demonstrations and online guidance. Since relaunching the campaign in 2024, the organization has taught more than 800,000 people vital skills. This year, the goal is to reach another 500,000 individuals, bringing the total to more than one million. Tom Canavan ends with an important message: “You are never too young to learn life-saving 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, may one day make the difference between life and death.”
