Corby girl given bravery award after saving mum's life
7 year old Jessica called 999 after her mum suffered a seizure and fell down the stairs
A young girl from Corby has been recognised for her incredible bravery after she saved her mum's life.
In February, seven year old Jessica Davison called 999 and took care of her two year old little brother after her mum suffered a seizure and fell down the stairs at their home.
Mum Rhian, aged 31, said she had been feeling a little under the weather with a cold but didn’t think much of it:
“I didn’t feel too bad. Jessica was watching TV and Brody was having a nap on the sofa. I started to feel hot and thought I might be sick, so I went upstairs to the toilet. I vomited and that’s when everything went blank.”
Rhian had suffered a seizure at the top of the stairs which caused her to fall. When she came round, she was lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs.
Jessica had heard banging sounds and went to check on her mum. She found her unconscious and shaking and remembered the conversation they’d had about what to do in an emergency. She found her mum’s phone and dialled 999.
The call was taken by Emergency Medical Advisor Sophie Dennett, who guided Jessica through what to do.
While on the phone, Rhian experienced another seizure and it's believed that she had multiple seizures during this time.
Jessica stayed calm and brave throughout the call, listening clearly to the instructions given by Sophie and unlocking the door so that the crew of paramedic Kiya Wood and emergency care assistant Kathleen Rule could access the house when they arrived.
Jessica explained what had happened and Kia and Kathleen worked to stabilise Rhian before transporting her to Kettering General Hospital.
“Jessica is honestly my hero,” said Rhian. “While she was waiting for the ambulance, Brody woke up upset and confused. Jessica took him into the living room and played with him to keep him distracted. She took care of him and me at the same time. I’m so incredibly proud of her.
“It’s hard to put into words the guilt I feel,” she shared. “While I’m bursting with pride, there’s a huge amount of guilt that my little girl had to go through that, that she had to be the one protecting me. But she was amazing.”
Jessica later told her mum that she had been scared but remembered what to do. “She said she found me on the floor with my eyes closed, and she knew to call 999. She told me that calling 999 doesn’t have to be scary, it can help.”
Paramedic Kiya presented Jessica with a bravery award: “It has been so nice to see Jessica and her mum Rhian under different circumstances and go through what happened on the day with them. To be able to present this award to her was really great after she did such a brave thing."
Jessica’s mum wants other parents to know just how important it is to talk to children about what to do in an emergency.
“We’d had a few conversations about what to do if mummy had a seizure, and I’m so glad we did. I truly believe it saved my life. Please talk to your children. It can make all the difference.”