A 5-year-old learner from Forest Hills has been hailed a hero for helping his parents call for an ambulance; he remembered the number after a visit from ER24
Durban, South Africa (11 March 2020) – A 5-year-old learner from Forest Hills used a lesson he learned from an ER24 school demonstration, to help his parents call for an ambulance.
During February, a team from ER24 visited the boy’s school to teach the children about emergency numbers and explain what the team do every day. The team was made up by ER24 paramedics, Michelle Cook, Tessa Bhengu, Osbourne Shangase, Angela Nzama, Mark Perks, and Nico Bosman as well as two Trauma and ICU nurse students.
During the talk and demonstration, the children were taught the 084 124 emergency number. They memorised it and were each given a water bottle that also had the number printed on the side. It was this that helped the 5-year-old provide life-saving information to his parents.
Just a few days after the demonstration, the little boy was able to use his lesson to help his mom.
“We received the phone call via the contact centre about a woman who was ill. Once myself and my partner Richard Bowker got to the scene, we immediately assisted the grandmother. It was only a short while later that the mother told us what had happened,” said Devon Fisher, an ER24 paramedic from the Hillcrest branch.
“She explained that both she and her husband were so panicked that they couldn’t think of a number to call. He then told them that he knows which number they should phone, and recited it to them. The parents asked for the number again, and that is when he ran to fetch the ER24 water bottle that they were given on the day of the show and tell with the 084 124 number clearly visible.”
When the ER24 paramedics were leaving the house, the little boy was in the garden and given the chance to say goodbye to his grandmother before they transported her to the hospital.
“Everyone was just so proud of him. When we heard what had happened, I just got goosebumps. It is just such an amazing story!” said Devon.
Nationally, ER24 paramedics, depending on their availability, present the demonstrations to schools as a means to educate and to create greater awareness around emergency medical services (EMS).
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“When we do the demonstrations at schools you don’t know what the children take in. And to know that he remained calm and remembered our emergency number based on the school demo is just incredible!” said Devon.
In the end, the little boy was hailed a hero for helping his parents through a stressful time.
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