A heroic father-of-three from Oldham saved a baby’s life while out shopping in Primark.
Mohammed Sakandar was out with his family in the city centre when he heard a woman screaming while holding her baby in the shop at Piccadilly Gardens.
He said he saw the baby was pale and wasn’t breathing so immediately laid her on the floor to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Mohammed said; “I heard the mother and grandmother of the baby girl screaming and I just thought, ‘what is going’ on?’”
“They were holding the baby and I could see the girl was really pale and her eyes were open but not moving. I thought she might have died at one point.
“Everyone was in such a panic and shouting and crying but I ran over to them and put the baby on the floor held her nose closed and gave her mouth to mouth. I only did it two or three times but then she stated blinking and was breathing again.”
He then put her in the recovery position while an ambulance was called.
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Mohammed, 31, of Clarksfield, Oldham, added: “The family were so grateful and were thanking me. But I would have done it for anybody. I have three children of my own and you never know when you are going to need someone else’s help.
“It was just instinct to go and help.”
He remembered the training he received several years ago and it stuck with him ever since.
He added: “I think a lot of people shy away from helping because they think they will do something wrong, but I just had to help.
“I just want to raise awareness of how important it is that people know basic first aid and what to do in this situation.”
Mohammed, a taxi driver, said afterwards he felt “shook up” but good that he had saved the baby’s life.
He wants to get in touch with the family to see how the little girl is getting on.
A spokeswoman for North West Ambulance Service confirmed they received a call to Primark on March 6 and took the baby to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
If anyone knows the family, please email Katie Butler from Manchester Evening News at [email protected]
