St John Ambulance Cymru is proud to announce that Millie-Mae Adams, a former Miss Wales and dedicated medical student, has officially joined the charity as its newest Ambassador.
The appointment marks a poignant “full circle” moment for Adams, who first began her journey into medicine as a St John Ambulance Cymru Cadet. Having dreamt of becoming a doctor since the age of five, Adams credits the charity with providing her with the foundation to pursue a career in healthcare.
“It’s an honour to be an ambassador for St John,” she said in an interview with Sam Cook for the official St John Ambulance Cymru podcast, Just in Case: Stories from St John. “It formed a really big part of my life growing up – making friends in Cadets and going to my first duty in the Cardiff City Stadium. It taught me a lot of skills that I then took forward into my career as a doctor.”
Currently balancing a busy GP placement with her medical studies, Adams is a passionate advocate for the democratisation of life-saving skills. She emphasises that first aid should not be seen as a skill reserved only for professionals, but as a universal responsibility.
“First aid is for everyone, not just for professionals. You make just as much, if not more, of a difference than the professional who arrives. If you’re the first on the scene, you can save someone with your bare hands.”
Adams knows this importance firsthand. During her first year at university, she encountered an unconscious individual on the street and relied on “muscle memory” developed years prior during her St John training to place them in the recovery position.
As an ambassador, Adams plans to use her platform to address critical contemporary issues, including knife crime. Through her work with organisations like Street Doctors, she highlights the vital role bystanders play in emergencies.
“In those situations where someone has been stabbed, by the time you’ve left someone to go and find a bleed kit, they may have lost a lot of blood,” Adams explained. “I always urge that you can make a lot of difference just with your hands. Don’t be afraid to be a first responder and shout for help.”
Adams has set ambitious goals for her first year as an ambassador, specifically focusing on reaching younger generations through social media and ensuring first aid training is accessible to Welsh speakers.
“I’d like to spread the message of St John Ambulance in Welsh and reach young people through the Welsh language. Healthcare should be accessible for everyone, and if that means practising in your mother tongue, then that’s a bonus.”
By utilising short, digestible content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Adams hopes to break down the “fear factor” associated with medical emergencies and inspire a community of lifesavers across Wales.
Just in Case: Stories from St John is available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, with new episodes set to release every month.
