A brave four-year-old from Church Gresley in Derbyshire who helped to save her dad’s life has been presented with a bravery award by the ambulance team who attended him.
Peri-Elouise ran to her grandparents’ house and alerted them to call 999 after she found her dad collapsed on the floor.
Rob Simpkins, 29, had been looking after his daughter on 22 July when he collapsed at his family home due to a hypoglycaemic episode.
With his wife working away and only Peri in the house, Rob was in danger of becoming seriously ill but thanks to his daughters quick thinking actions, he received the medical attention he urgently needed.
Rob said: “I suffer from Type 1 diabetes and had been feeling unwell but put it down to low blood sugar. Next thing I knew, I was coming around from my collapse surrounded by the ambulance crew and my family.”
When Peri-Elouise failed to wake her dad, she knew that her grandparents could help her. Finding her way out the house and around the corner to her grandparents, she alerted them to her dad collapsing, telling them to call for help.
Within minutes, Community First Responder Sean Garbett was on the scene, closely followed by the crew of technicians Stephen Kuhlke and Peter Singh and paramedic Ricky Harrison with Rob being transported to Burton Queens Hospital.
Rob said: “I really was quite lucky Peri was there, otherwise the story could have been a very different one.
“I remember her shouting to me to wake up over and over but I couldn’t respond so she did what she could to help by putting a pillow under my head and covering me in plasters before going to fetch her grandparents.
“She is so brave and both myself, my wife and her grandparents are so proud of her.”
Today, Peri, who aspires to be a doctor or a paramedic had the chance to meet the crew who attended to her dad when she was presented her Laverick Award by Sean, Ricky and call handler, Rebecca Reed at Swadlincote Station.
Sean said: “It is an absolute pleasure to see Peri-Elouise and her family again. She deserves to be recognised for her brave actions and we hope to see her join the ambulance service in years to come!”
The Laverick award is designed to recognise children and young adults of courage, who have gone above and beyond to help another. The award is in memory of Nick Laverick a Paramedic and Team Leader who tragically lost his battle with cancer on his 37th birthday in September 2013. Nick’s colleagues all miss him terribly and along with his wife Sasha, who is also a paramedic, decided to continue his legacy through this award.