Monday 28 November, 2022: John Ambulance today congratulates Cadet Jayden Sorhaindo, 12, who at a star-studded televised event, hosted by Davina McCall, scooped the Young Hero award in The Sun’s ‘Who Cares Wins Health Awards’.  

Broadcast on Channel 4 last night (Sunday, November 27), The ‘Who Cares Wins Awards’, in partnership with NHS Charities Together, takes place each year to celebrate healthcare heroes from the frontline NHS staff to the ordinary people who go above and beyond.  

 

St John Ambulance is delighted that this incredible young volunteer, Jayden, has been recognised for amazing life-saving skills and quick-thinking, which saved the life of her mum, Natasha. 

Recalling the incident, from February 2021, Jayden said, “I knew something was wrong when mum didn’t answer and I ran into the bathroom to find her bleeding and unconscious in the bath.  

“Using skills learned with St John, I held my ear to mum’s mouth to check her breathing, kept her head above water, her airway open, then called [for] 999."  

Jayden was nominated for the Young Hero award by her cadet youth leader, Shona Serpant, from Feltham, said: “I’ve known Jayden since she was eight and she’s quite simply amazing. She’s got so much going on at home caring for her mum, but she’s just as dedicated and caring at St John Ambulance. If there are new cadets she always takes them under her wing, she volunteers for everything, she’s always got a smile on her face.” 

Jayden has been a young carer for her mum, who has auto-immune disorder lupus and heart failure, since the age of seven. 

Natasha said: “I spend most of my days bedbound and my life wouldn’t be worth living without Jayden. She calls the ambulance on an almost fortnightly basis and always has my bag packed and does a handover to the paramedics when I need to go into hospital. We’re trying to make the best out of a very unpredictable illness. I try and stay hopeful that better days will come even though most days I wish the suffering would just end. I know I’d have no fight left in me if it wasn’t for Jayden.” 

Jayden first became involved with St John joining the Badger youth programme at seven. She said, “I joined St John because I wanted to be a doctor at the time, but now I want to become a cardiothoracic heart surgeon, because my mum has heart problems and I want to help find a cure. I know first-hand how much things like this affect a person and their family, so I want to prevent that from happening as much as I can.  

“It’s not always easy looking after mum but I love her so much. I know my days aren’t like my friends, but I don’t mind. I make mum tea and toast in the morning, then get her tablets sorted before I go to school.  

“It’s such an honour to be nominated and to win. For me this award is about showing other young carers the importance of first aid as well as to say well done…I think all children should learn first aid and I would like it to be taught in schools a lot more and children to be more aware of first aid.”   

Jayden has supported St John in its first aid awareness campaign, #AskMe to encourage more people – especially young people – to learn simple life-saving first aid. 

Director of Youth and Education at St John Ambulance, Paul Evans said “Congratulations to Jayden – what a superstar and worthy winner you are. You are an inspiration, your compassion and care is infectious and everyone at St John is extremely proud of you. 

“We hope your story inspires young people – tomorrow’s life savers – to learn first aid and use it in those moments that matter.”