News / south west ambulance service trust
Nine-year-old girl commended for response to emergency
A nine-year-old girl has been officially commended by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust for calling 999 when her asthmatic mother collapsed at their home in Stoke Gifford.
Massa Sow made the call on March 25 after Catherine Camara, who was five months pregnant at the time, started to have trouble breathing and became unresponsive: “Ifelt scared, but I knew what I had to do. Now I am pleased mummy is better,” said Massa.
Emergency medical dispatcher, Jonathan Leaton, took the call and Massa was able to tell him what was wrong. He directed Massa to do chest compressions on Catherine, helping her to regain consciousness.
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“Massa made it really easy, she handled the situation really well,” Jonathan said.
Massa and her mother, Catherine, meeting Jonathan Leaton, who took the 999 call
Massa learnt how to call 999 at school, and Jonathan says that this is something which all children should know how to do: “It’s hugely important, even if it’s just to know their address and to call 999 and ask for help. The call handler will be able to guide them through the rest,.”
Catherine’s condition was not found to be life threatening but she was taken to hospital as a precaution, and said of Massa’s commendation: “I felt really surprised because she didn’t panic, but I was really proud as well, I had tears in my eyes.”
Both mother and daughter visited the control centre to receive the certificate from where chief executive Ken Wenman.
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