Kids who saved mum's life after cardiac arrest earn ambulance reward

After finding her mum unresponsive, Arianna called 999 while Oliver put her into the recovery position. They spoke to a call handler who helped them while several ambulance staff were then dispatched with the first resource arriving within six minutes of the phone call being made.

Oliver spoke to the ambulance staff while Arianna raced across the road to a neighbour’s house to get help because she was turning blue and not breathing at all, and they started giving CPR before the emergency services then arrived to take over.

Donna believes her kids saved her life when the incident took place on June 3 this year and she’s now aiming to raise £10,000 NHS Grampian Charity’s Cardiology Fund.

Oliver and Arianna were presented with certificates and SAS teddies for their bravery when they visited Aberdeen Ambulance Station recently to meet some of the staff who attended.

Arianna and Oliver with their certificates (Image: Scottish Ambulance Service)

The included newly-qualified paramedic Monica Hurley, Gregor McIntosh from the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) North team, technician John McCook, James McAulay who operated a rapid response vehicle and Dr David Connor, a consultant in pre-hospital medicine with EMRS North.

Donna, of Aberdeen, said: “My husband and I are extremely proud of our children. Without a shadow of doubt, they saved my life. They were faced with a traumatic situation a lot of adults would struggle with. 

“I was at home alone with my two children – my husband was in London with work. We were about to leave for school, I was brushing my teeth, and my daughter came to look for me finding me on the floor unresponsive.

“She screamed for her brother to come and help. Arianna called 999 whilst Oliver tried to put me into the recovery position.

“Oliver also spoke to the call handler whilst my daughter ran across the road to get our neighbours. She felt immediate help was needed as I had turned blue and not breathing. My neighbours started giving me CPR before the emergency services arrived.” 

Donna spent 15 nights in hospital after falling ill and needed three defibrillation shocks to restart her heart.

Read More: 

• 'They kept me sane': Spina bifida patient 'on the breadline' until charity stepped in

• Bowing out gracefully: mountain man David Whalley on living with dying

• Barbara Windsor widower says star starved herself in final months to end Alzheimer's

But her recovery is now going well having been fitted with an ICD and she’s grateful her kids and the ambulance staff who responded were able to work so quickly.

She added: “My recovery is going well. I had an ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) implanted; this amazing technology should work to pace my heart out of a fatal arrhythmia if it occurs again and if this fails it will give a shock similar to that of a defibrillator.

“The survival statistics of a cardiac arrest are low, and I feel very grateful to be here to tell the tale. We cannot believe the kindness and compassion the SAS staff demonstrated. The kids are delighted with the certificates.”

One of the paramedics, Monica, said: “We’re so pleased to see Donna has made such a good recovery. The brave actions of her children saved her life that day – early intervention is critical in Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests. It was wonderful to see Donna and her children again. I felt emotional myself when they were getting their certificates.

“The children really did remain so calm throughout the whole incident. I’ll never forget the hug I got from the children after we got her heart beating back to a sustainable rhythm and we could tell them their mum is in a stable condition thanks to the help of the trauma team. We wish her all the best in her recovery and fundraising.”