A 7-year-old school girl who bravely called 999 after her mum fell ill has been presented with a Laverick Award.
Ellie Hankins from Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, was at home during the summer holidays earlier this year when she found her mum, Donna, collapsed onto the floor.
Ellie jumped into action straight away trying to wake her mum, but after realising this wasn’t working, she activated the emergency call option on Donna’s phone and called 999 calmly speaking to call taker Samantha Lyttle on the phone.
Answering all of Samantha’s questions and looking after her little brother Jack at the same time, Ellie stayed with her mum until Paramedic Andrew Britton arrived on scene.
Mum Donna said: “We’re extremely proud of Ellie and how brave she was.
“Recently I have had a few health problems so myself and my husband were keen for Ellie to learn First Aid.
"She did a brilliant mini medic’s course at infant school so she knew exactly what to do when she found me collapsed on the floor.
“I think it’s so important for every child to know what to do in an emergency and hopefully others can take inspiration from this.”
Ellie was presented her award on Tuesday at Irthlingborough Junior School by Clinical Operations Manager Samuel Sears, Paramedic Andrew Britton, and 999 call handler Samantha Lyttle.
Samuel Sears said: “Ellie was extremely brave by alerting the emergency services when her mum was poorly.
“Not only did she call for help but she then also helped Andrew the paramedic when he arrived. Ellie 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.