2022 Winner
LYNNE BAIRD MBE
Charity fundraiser and marathon runner – challenging stereotypes around disability and inspiring others to achieve.
Lynne Baird’s life changed forever when he 26-year-old son, Daniel, was murdered in a random attack on a night out with friends. There was no first aid or bleeding control kit near the scene. A friend who happened to be driving past drove him to hospital but sadly, it was too late to save his life.
Grief-stricken Lynne founded the Daniel Baird Foundation in his memory – to raise awareness and campaign for potentially life-saving bleeding control packs to be made available in public places.
Designed by West Midlands Ambulance Service, the kits contain a tourniquet, trauma bandage, haemostatic gauze and a Russell Chest Seal® – a hydrogel-based dressing designed to cover a penetrating chest wound – designed to provide immediate care in the vital minutes before paramedics arrive.
Thanks to Lynne’s efforts the foundation raised £12,000 – enough to make Birmingham the first UK city to have bleeding control packs and specialist first-aid training rolled out in pubs, schools, shops and other venues. Now the kits are available across the whole of the UK. As Lynne, 65, says: “Dan was out with his friends having a good time. His life should not have ended in this tragic way. Had there been a publicly accessible bleeding control pack available Dan may still be with us.
“We believe that having packs in all major shopping centres, pubs, clubs, public transport stations and all public buildings is a priority. No family should have to feel this pain.” The kits were recently used by school staff in Wolverhampton to save the life of a 16 year old boy who was attacked not far from the school.