Brave 4 year old commended by SAS for calling 999 for mum

A BRAVE four-year-old has been awarded with a certificate of commendation from the Scottish Ambulance Service after immediately calling 999 for his mum following a medical emergency.

Joshua Miller, of Ayr, was at home with his mum, Katie, 35, when she experienced an asthma attack.
With Katie unable to speak, Joshua, also at home with his younger sister, Abbie, three, immediately knew how dial 999.

The composed youngster spoke to the call handler, and an ambulance crew staffed by Paramedic Marta Pabian, of Ayr Station and Technician Kyle Burns, of Kilmarnock Station, were dispatched.

Marta and Kyle recently presented Joshua with his certificate and he was also given a tour of Ayr Station.

Katie, who works within Digital Services, said: “Joshua took control straight away and knew what to do. It did take him a few moments to get his confidence but once he had it, he was amazing.

“There are not enough words to describe how proud we are of him, and we have been enjoying, with family and friends, celebrating what he did that day. He also got a certificate from nursery as well for his braveness. He probably doesn't really understand what he has done or how big it is but we will continue to celebrate as he gets older.”

Katie said when the crew arrived, they couldn’t have been friendlier to both her children while still giving her the best possible care. After the crew provided treatment at home, she was transported to Ayr Hospital and discharged the following day.

She added: “Marta and Kyle were superstars on the day and very much walked into our house like friends, which brought a sense of calm and the trust to the kids. Marta had to phone my husband, Jamie, at work as I was home alone with the kids and then when I required to have a canula put in, Kyle went and played with the kids in another room so they were not there when this took place.”

Katie said another good thing to come out of this incident, which happened on December 29 last year, was the number of her friends who were now speaking to their kids about phoning 999 in an emergency.

Kyle said: “Both Joshua and Abbie were brilliant on the day, keeping nice and calm when we arrived. It was lovely to see the family again in better circumstances and to show the family around Ayr Station where both Marta and I were more than happy to present Joshua with his certificate in recognition of his bravery.

"It’s important children understand how to call for help and what emergency service is needed. Joshua knew exactly who was needed and did an outstanding job."