Driven to help all parents learn child first aid

The Parentmedic Movement
Passionate. Powerhouse. Generous

Nurse Nataly Tormey wants every parent to know how to save their child’s life in an emergency but is aware that many families cannot afford first-aid training.

Nataly was inspired to establish The Parentmedic Movement after she was approached by a mother who was distressed because her baby kept turning blue but couldn’t afford baby first aid training.

Nataly provided her with free lessons, but now The Parentmedic Movement has more than sixty licensed educators providing training to more than five hundred parents a month.

Most parents pay for their lessons but educators donate some of their time, so free training can be given to those in need. A portion of every booking fee is also donated to a health clinic in Kenya.

“Our training covers everything from rashes and safe sleep to emergency first aid,” says Nataly, who organises free sessions for refugee groups, teen mothers and immigrants.

Nataly says it is a “really big deal” to be voted a Westfield Local Hero.

“I grew up in this area so to have local recognition means more than any national awards I’ve been nominated for,” she says.

“It’s been so wonderful to be able to advocate for what I do. It’s going to open up so many new opportunities to continue what I am doing in the community.”

By teaching parents what to do when their child is unwell, Nataly is also reducing the burden on hospital emergency departments.

“We want to reach more parents, especially those without the means to fund education themselves,” she says.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation.

Parentmedic will use its grant to develop an online first aid training program for all parents and to fund twenty face-to-face training sessions.

“The face-to-face training will specifically be for vulnerable groups,” says Nataly. “One will be for families that may have experienced domestic violence. We will also connect with other not-for-profits to offer sessions to groups that may not be able to afford training.”

__For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here. __