Quick-thinking staff saved young Oliver

Pride in Oldham nominees, Chadderton Wellbeing Centre and library staff who helped road accident victim Oliver Smethurst in February. Left to right, Paul Harrison, Eileen Marsh, Chris Bush, Karen Lord, Paddy Wolstenholme.

THE mum of a little boy knocked down and critically injured outside Chadderton Wellbeing Centre has nominated its staff for a Pride in Oldham award for helping to save her life.

Shirley Davey, from Chadderton, says her son Oliver Smethurst may not have survived had they not intervened following the tragedy in February.

Shirley had just stepped off a coach parked outside the centre and was crossing Burnley Street with Oliver and her daughters, Chloe and Megan, when the four-year-old was struck by a car.

Shirley immediately ran to pick up her son and carried him hysterically to the wellbeing centre where staff, including two library assistants, calmly told her to lay him down and took over first aid procedures.

"They came straight out and the main first aider arrived with compresses and blankets to make him comfortable," said Shirley.

"They stayed with him and attended to him until paramedics arrived, not to mention helping to calm me and my family down.

"I recently spoke to one of them who helped on the day and she said although she was trained in first aid what happened to Oliver was beyond anything they had been taught to deal with. No one was prepared for what happened that day but they went above and beyond and we can't thank them enough for what they did.

"I don't think Oliver would be here now if it wasn't for them. They deserve some recognition."

Despite suffering three fractures to his skull, a fractured pelvis, breaking both legs and undergoing a six-hour operation to pin his thigh bones back together, Oliver was up and attempting to walk at Manchester Royal Children's Hospital three weeks later.

When he returned to his Chadderton home the wellbeing centre gave him free one-to-one swimming lessons to help his rehabilitation.

"There's no doubt the swimming has helped Oliver to recover quicker and walk better," said Shirley.

"Yet again centre staff have been fantastic."

Those who went above and beyond that day were leisure centre staff Zoe Buckley, Eva Evans, Jane Finnelly, Paul Harrison, Carol Liddy, Philip Kelly, Karen Lord, Lauren Tindall, and Patrick Wolstenholme and library staff Eileen Marsh and Chris Bush.

On behalf of the staff, Joanne Smallwood, facility manager at Chadderton Wellbeing Centre, said: "Everyone is over the moon about being nominated for a pride award.

"Working in the leisure industry we are constantly trained to deal with situations. It's incidents like this, perhaps particularly when a child is involved, which make you realise just how important this training is.

"Whilst we all acted to the best of our ability, no training can provide you for the emotions of seeing such a young boy fighting for his life. So it's been especially nice to keep in contact with Oliver and his family and to see how far he has come on since the accident."