Mother of teenage stab victim thanks charity as four more bleed control kits installed in Willenhall

The 18-year-old man was stabbed during ‘disorder’ in Lucknow Road, Willenhall, on Thursday and friends rushed to Elite Hairdressing, Castle Drive, to retrieve the kit.

In the vital minutes before the paramedics arrived the teenager received first aid using the bleed control kit. He was taken to hospital but his injuries are non-life-threatening.

The kit was the first in Willenhall to have been donated by the Daniel Baird Foundation last October, the first of several installed by Kelly Addiss from the charity.

Mother Vikki Haywood said: "I am so thankful this bleed kit was used to save my son. Thank you Kelly who raises funds for these kits. Lucky one was down the road at the hairdressers near to where my son was, I am so grateful."

The bleed control kits include haemostatic gauze dressing, a tourniquet, nitrile gloves, scissors and other equipment needed to stop trauma injuries. They are designed to be used in the vital minutes before an ambulance arrives.

Kelly ensured the kit at the hairdressers was replaced by Saturday and after first struggling to find places to have them, the charity installed four new ones in Willenhall this weekend.

Kelly Addiss told the Express & Star: “It makes it all worth it when you get a message from the mother of someone whose life the kit might have saved. We found it really hard to find businesses who would have the kits, maybe because they did not want to be associated with knife crime, but now people can see they save lives.

"And it does not just have to be knife crime victims - these kits can be used with any kind of trauma. Thanks so much to Lynne at the charity for donating the new kits after hearing how much they are needed in the area."

New bleed control kits have been placed in Tesco, Cheryl's Wines and Nisa in Willenhall as well as The Milestone in New Invention. All have been registered with West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Lynne Baird MBE set up the foundation after the death of her son Daniel, who was stabbed to death in Digbeth and died after the wait for an ambulance proved too long. She was appointed an MBE for her work and has given out 10,000 bleed control kits in the UK and beyond.

Lynne said: "This is fantastic work by our charity in the Black Country, a kit was used in Bilston last month and now Willenhall, thankfully both victims survived."

West Midlands Police rushed to the scene of Lucknow Road, Willenhall, at 1.40pm on Thursday to reports of a young man being found with knife-related injuries.

On arrival, officers discovered an 18-year-old man with knife wounds and subsequently arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and and 18-year-old on suspicion of wounding. Both have been released on bail subject to conditions.