A mum has recalled the terrifying moment she knew she was dying while eight months pregnant as she rushed to save strangers from a fire. Alison Mulvaney was heavily pregnant when she and partner Daniel Richford noticed a large fire engulfing three vans as they returned home from visiting their son in hospital back in 2005.
Despite Alison being nearly nine months pregnant, she did not hesitate to rush to help those affected by the huge blaze, and while Daniel went to help children in a nearby home, the mum went to help another woman. But as she went to help, a nearby explosion caused Alison, from Speke, Liverpool, to collapse.
While others assumed Alison was going into labour, the mum said she knew that she was dying. She said she felt an "almighty bang" before pressure in her stomach like she had been kicked and was in "incredible pain" when she tried to walk, Alison told the Liverpool Echo.
It soon became clear that Alison has suffered a ruptured aneurysm and she was rushed to hospital for a 10-hour operation - while her daughter Ashleigh was delivered. Doctors had to work to save Ashleigh Page, who was born not breathing, while dad Danny had to be rushed to the Royal Liverpool Hospital after suffering smoke inhalation from the fire.
Explaining what happened after the blast, Alison said she managed to stumble back to their own van and was slumped over the bonnet when Danny came running over, assuming the baby was coming. Danny managed to flag down an off-duty paramedic to help, which turned out to be Alison's cousin Gary Page.
She said "I just knew I was dying. My aneurism is extremely rare, there's been no other cases where both mum and child survived but my cousin insisted I was went to the Women's [Hospital] because he knew the baby was in trouble. He gave me a 10ml fluid which kept me alive and when there I felt coldness on my stomach and doctors shouting they needed to get the baby out now and I blacked out."
Ashleigh herself was born not breathing and doctors worked to resuscitate her and was soon rushed to intensive care, suffering several seizures. Alison underwent a 10-hour operation before being transferred to intensive care in Preston. But when she woke and was able to meet her daughter back at the Women's, she was soon told she may never walk or talk.
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Alison added: "My world fell apart. They said they would only know if she hit all of her milestones and she was delayed so it was worry all the time. She couldn't talk she had her own language in nursery and needed steel shoes to strengthen her legs but she mastered all that. She had educational needs in school but she's smashed it all."
It's thought the couple saved the lives of six people because of their bravery, as they warned neighbours about the fire. Despite health scares when she was born, and the tragedy of her dad Daniel taking his own life nine years ago on Christmas Day, Alison said Ashleigh has defied the odds and is now thriving.
Passing her GCSE's, she is now in her final year at Riverside College studying Education in Early Years and does her work experience at Muddy Footprints nursery in Speke. Brother Josh is also a teaching assistant at The Royal School for the Blind as Alison said she was proud of her children.
Celebrating her 18th birthday on March 21, Alison said: "Ashleigh had a Peaky Blinders themed party as it's her favourite programme and presented her godfather Gary, who she is named after, with a gift to say thank you for saving our lives. Unfortunately I lost my mum when Ashleigh was 18 months old and I have my sister Heather to thank for everything as she cared for Ashleigh when I was so poorly after having her.
"Heather is like her second mum and they have a beautiful bond with each other. We also won the Mersey marvels award."
She added: "I think back from that night and although it's her birthday, it comes back to me what happened and it's like I'm watching someone else but she's come on so far. She never gives up and fights for what she wants. She's just fabulous, so giving and loving to anyone."
