Guest blog by Corrie Butler, Public Affairs volunteer
When Jamie LeSueur took a First Aid course with the Canadian Red Cross, there was no way he could have known he would end up using those skills while interning in Cambodia.
The Mount Royal University Policy student and Red Cross Disaster Management volunteer spent four months in the Southeast Asian country as part of an international work experience placement with a rural-based Cambodian NGO.
His work involved many trips out to very remote and isolated communities. “Many villages I visited could only be reached by motorbike,” says LeSueur. “The roads were in very poor condition, especially during the rainy season.”
While driving to these rural areas, LeSueur used his First Aid training not once, but twice. In one incident, LeSueur responded to a motorcycle accident, treating the driver—who was exhibiting signs of a possible broken leg—with an improvised splint. LeSueur was able to keep the individual stabilized for the bumpy, two hour trip to the hospital. In another response, LeSueur came upon a tractor accident. The vehicle had been carrying sugar cane when it toppled over into the ditch, injuring two of its passengers. Jamie assessed, treated and stabilized the victims until an ambulance arrived.
“The victims needed help and I just happened to be there,” LeSueur recalls. “It felt good to be able to command the situation and respond professionally.”
Learn how to prevent injuries and respond in an emergency. Take a First Aid or CPR course today.
Road conditions in rural area.
Jamie LeSueur made good use of his First Aid training.
LeSueur feels his First Aid training helped respond decisively to injuries.