A young girl from Whetstone in Leicestershire has been presented with a bravery award from East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) after helping her mum when she became seriously unwell.
Phoebe Gibbs, 10, was at home with her mum Leanne, 41, when she found her collapsed in the bathroom on 3 August 2023.
Leanne, who that morning had been feeling unwell, calls Phoebe her ‘earth angel’ and credits her daughter for saving her life that day.
Leanne said: “I remember waking up on that Thursday morning not feeling very well and knowing something wasn’t right. I was very dizzy, weak and had pains in my stomach. Next thing I knew, I was waking up on the bathroom floor with Phoebe and the ambulance crew by my side.”
After finding her mum collapsed and barely conscious, Phoebe remembered what her mum and dad, Andy, had taught her about what to do in an emergency.
She said: “Mummy was pale with her eyes fixed wide open and she looked like she wasn't breathing. I put my hand on her chest and my ear to her chest to check. I then rushed to get the phone and called 999.”
Phoebe’s 999 call was answered by Emergency Medical Advisor Rebecca Adamson, who supported Phoebe in getting the help she needed for her mum.
Phoebe calmly and bravely followed Rebecca’s instructions, while in the background Dispatch Officer Brodie Bancroft was dispatching emergency help to the family home.
Paramedic Samuel Brewin and Technician Joe Carey arrived swiftly at the scene and were met by Phoebe waiting outside for them. She led the crew to her mum, who was showing signs of serious infection, including low blood pressure and a high temperature.
Joe, who nominated Phoebe for a bravery award, said:
“Phoebe was very helpful and calmer than most adults we attend in similar circumstances. She was waiting for us outside when we arrived and led us straight up to her mum in the bathroom.
“Despite being very upset, she was able to tell us exactly what had happened and she even had the presence of mind to lock the dogs away before we arrived.”
Leanne was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary where, after several months, a bout of pneumonia, antibiotics and many trips back and forth to the hospital, she has finally recovered and is enjoying life with her little girl and husband.
She said: “Myself and my husband Andy have always tried to teach Phoebe from a very young age about an emergency, calling 999, knowing her address and all birth dates too. We feel that it is extremely important to keep talking to your children, to go through certain scenarios and what to do.
“Phoebe has always been such a caring, happy, empathetic child with such a loving soul. She is a very special little girl.
“I can’t thank everyone enough who helped that day, from the call handler who took Phoebe’s call, to the crew who helped me. I don't know what I would have done without them.”
And what is young Phoebe’s advice to anyone else in a similar situation?
“Speak to your family around you and speak about what to do if anything happens in an emergency.
“If you see a family member or someone not responding you must feel their chest, hear for their breath and try to speak to them. Always go with that little voice inside of you and go with what you believe in your heart. If something's not right then ring 999 straight away.
“Go with your instincts, it will save lives.”