A Liverpool mum has spoken of her immense pride after her daughter saved her life. Linda Warke suffers from diabetes and collapsed in their home after enjoying a mother-daughter lunch one day.
Her daughter, then-five-year-old Breyer, at first thought her mum was joking but quickly realised the seriousness of the situation. Breyer says she tried gently hitting her face to see if she'd wake up but realised that her mum was unresponsive.
Linda told the Liverpool Echo: “My husband, Breyer’s father, passed away when Breyer was just 18 months old. A year later my mum passed away and it took me a long time to get back on my feet.
"Being a single mum with diabetes and living alone with Breyer, I wanted to make sure that my daughter was prepared and knew what to do if I became poorly."
Leaping into action, Breyer managed to calmly call her grandad and tell him what happened. He called 999 and when paramedics arrived, they were able to treat Linda at home with a glucose drip, which reversed her blood sugar.
It turned out that when she had collapsed, Linda's blood sugar was dangerously low and she was minutes away from a hypoglycaemic coma. Diabetes UK says that if you don't act quickly hypoglycaemia, or hypos, can get much worse.
After the death of her husband, Linda decided to teach Breyer how to call 999, to memorise their address and how to call her grandad in an emergency. Thanks to Breyer's bravery and her quick thinking after her mum collapsed, Linda was treated at home and didn't require a trip to the hospital.
She said: “I was blown away by my daughter’s bravery, she was only five at the time and remembered what to do in what is a stressful situation. I am so proud of her.”
For her bravery, Breyer went on to win a Character of the Year Award at the World Class Schools Quality Mark Awards in London for her actions that day.
Following children like Breyer saving the lives of their loved ones, North West Ambulance Service is asking parents, guardians and relatives to make sure their children know to call 999 if they are with somebody who becomes seriously ill or injured. The appeal is part of a wider initiative from the trust called the Ambulance Academy, which helps guide children, young people and teachers on how to use its services.
Ged Blezard, director of operations, said: “Teaching our children and future generations the right reason to call 999 could save your life - we have had callers as young as four call us because their parent is unconscious. Breyer acted calmly in what must have been a very frightening situation.
"By calling her grandad immediately, who then called 999, she was able to make sure we were able to get help to her mum as quickly as possible. We are asking parents and guardians to make sure they take five minutes to sit down with their children and explain when to call 999, especially if the adult is not awake.
"It is important that children know their address and postcode. This way, if they need to call 999, we can get an ambulance to them as quickly as possible.”
