Ten-year-old praised after helping save his mum in an emergency

Ten-year-old Oscar has been praised by Isle of Wight Ambulance Service after he called 999 and helped save his mum when she suddenly became seriously unwell at home.

Now, Oscar and his mum Carmela are encouraging parents to make sure their children know what to do in an emergency, after his quick thinking helped get her the urgent care she needed.

Carmela had been feeling unwell that day and thought it might be due to the hot weather and dehydration. A few hours later, Oscar returned home to find her confused and struggling to speak clearly. Although Carmela has no memory of what happened next, Oscar said she lost consciousness twice before falling and hitting her head on the stairs.

Realising something was seriously wrong, Oscar immediately called 999. He spoke to emergency call handler Mia, who guided and reassured him while arranging for paramedics and first responders to attend.

Carmela said, “As a single parent, I taught Oscar from a young age how to call for help if needed, but you never really know how a child will react when they're faced with a real emergency. I never wanted him to see the police, ambulance service or hospital as something scary, and I've always encouraged him to feel confident speaking to adults and asking for help. Looking back, I think that's why he knew what to do on the day. Even though he must have been frightened, he trusted the emergency services, listened to their instructions, and stayed calm enough to get me the help I needed.”

To thank Oscar for the role he played in helping his mum, he and Carmela were later invited to Isle of Wight Ambulance Service's station in Newport, where he met Mia, the emergency call handler who answered his 999 call and stayed on the phone with him until help arrived.

Mia Axby, Emergency Call Handler at Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, said, “Despite being in an extremely difficult and distressing situation, Oscar remained incredibly brave and focused, responding clearly and promptly to my questions. His quick thinking helped us get the right help to his mum as quickly as possible. It was a privilege to speak with him and see how calmly he handled such a challenging situation. Oscar should be extremely proud of himself.”

The visit was a special moment for Oscar and Carmela, who were touched by the number of staff who came to meet him. Carmela said being able to thank those involved helped turn a frightening experience into a positive one.

Inspired by what happened, Oscar is now planning to deliver an assembly at his school to help other children feel confident about calling the emergency services if they ever need to.

Oscar said, “I think it is important for other children to know how to call 999, especially if there are no other adults around. It’s just me and Mum at home and I think every parent should teach their child how to call for help. It is stressful, and it would be even more stressful if they haven't been taught what to do.”

Carmela added, “While you hope they never have to use those skills, knowing how to get help can make a huge difference. Thank you again to everyone involved for the care, kindness and support they showed both of us.”

When asked if he feels proud of helping his mum, Oscar said: “Yes, because I helped the person who I love the most. It was really scary, but I was able to get Mum the help she needed.”

Additional information

Resources to help educate children on dialling 999 can be found on the British Red Cross website: Calling 999 | First aid resources | British Red Cross