Tragic Death Of Cancer Survivor In Brutal First Aid Ad

Everyone has gaps in their knowledge. Things we should know, or once knew, but that somehow manages to evade us when when need it most. But much more useful than the history of British kings and queens, or GCSE French, first aid is something we can't afford not to know.

This ad for St. John Ambulance pulls no punches in making this clear. Helpless follows one man's life through his battle with cancer.

We see his diagnosis, his body withered by punishing rounds of chemotherapy, the sleepless nights and the days spent in agony.

But the treatment works. He survives and begins his life anew, milking the most out of every day. He catches up with friends, spends time with his daughter and takes up running. It's now, after all he's been through that he loses his fight for life. 

It's not the cancer that kills him. It's a summer's barbecue. As he enjoys a burger in the sun, he chokes.

He lays on the grass, gasping for breath as his loved ones panic around him, not knowing how to help him. His wife and daughter watch helplessly as he dies in front of them.

The hard-hitting ad, by BBH, dramatically illustrates that 140,000 people a year die when the most basic of first aid could save them. That's the same number of people that fall victim to cancer every year.

With a moving soundtrack, the ad has been viewed 3,400 times in the two days since it was launched, with blogs and articles spreading it's message.

We usually round off our articles with a joke, this time we're going to ask you to check out the St John Ambulance first aid advice page. One day, you might be glad you did.