A young boy has won praise for an incredible stroke of intuition that helped revive his mother from a diabetic coma. The little boy dialed the phone number printed on the side of his toy ambulance.
Five-year-old Josh Chapman from Telford in Shropshire, England, ran into a scary scene at home on July 28 when he found his mom, Caroline, unconscious on the floor. Caroline Chapman, 41, who suffers from diabetes, had fallen into a hypoglycemic coma, a serious condition but one that is reversible if the patient receives timely medical attention.
“I had just been playing cars with the boys,” Caroline later recalled, “and I suddenly blacked out.”
Josh’s father, Neil, a Royal Air Force (RAF) photographer, was at work and not on hand to help, but the little boy kept his composure. Recognizing that his mom needed medical attention, Josh went looking for his plastic toy ambulance, spotted a number on the side of the toy, and dialed it on the telephone.
The number was 112, the European version of 911, and Josh was quickly connected to emergency service, where he was able to speak to an operator.
“I woke up surrounded by paramedics, and a lot of toys, and they explained to me that Josh had called them and given them our address,” Caroline regaled. She admitted momentary disbelief after coming to, however, as Josh had never used a phone before.
First responders arrived to find Josh and his 18-month-old brother Harry beside their mom on the floor, and they were able to successfully revive her. Josh was praised for his level-headed action.
“Caroline Chapman wrote to us to tell us that last week, her son Josh did something amazing,” they began. “Whilst his dad was at work (at RAF Cosford), Caroline slipped into a diabetic coma and was unconscious. Josh tried to get her to eat sweets and drink a sport drink but Caroline remained unresponsive.”
Josh, said museum staffers, told first responders that his mom’s “levels were low,” referring to her blood sugar levels. The police and ambulance services were bowled over by Josh’s intuitive decision to call the number on the side of his toy ambulance.
“Caroline and her husband rewarded him with a visit to the toy store,” the RAF Museum posted, “and he chose an aircraft carrier with jets ... What a hero!”
After the Chapman family had recovered from their shared ordeal, Josh was also invited for a tour of West Murcia police station. He intimated that he would like to join the force when he grows up.
“Hopefully we'll see him again,” Baker added, “when he’s old enough, as a new recruit!”
