More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A mum-of-three thought she had lost her son when he turned blue and stopped breathing.
Katie Thomas was faced with every mother's worst nightmare before a first responder arrived and saved her boy, Oscar's, life.
Last Thursday, Katie was putting the 16-month-old to bed when she found he had a high temperature.
The following morning, his condition had not improved so Katie called 111 for advice.
While waiting, Oscar's eyes rolled back in his head and he became unresponsive.
Katie, of Knowle Road, Wouldham, immediately laid him on the floor, using first-aid training she learnt as a teacher at Maplesden Noakes School in Maidstone.
She said: "He then turned blue and stopped breathing. I absolutely lost my composure at this point and started screaming for my mum – who lives with us in the annex.
"She called an ambulance and was so calm. I was frantic."
A few minutes later, Andrew Le Grove arrived after being notified by the GoodSAM app.
The app will automatically share locations with first responders and the emergency services at the click of a button.
The 48-year-old is a senior nurse who signed up to the app as a first responder. An alert was triggered by the emergency services, as the closet paramedics were 15 minutes away.
Andrew said: "My mind said 'someone needs your help, there is a delay in ambulance response and I could make a difference to someone's life and Christmas, I must respond'.
"I was a little anxious, as always in this type of situation, as I didn't know what situation I was going to – adult, child, car crash etc.
"When I arrived at the house, Katie was standing outside looking upset and anxious, shouting for help.
"I grabbed my emergency rucksack and proceeded inside and saw Oscar on the floor and looking unresponsive.
"He had had a seizure, so I supported his airway and carried out a full assessment. He responded and started crying.
"After I completed an initial assessment, the ambulance crew arrived.
"I diagnosed gastroenteritis, and a high temperature that caused two seizures. We was taken to hospital by the ambulance crew, given intravenous rehydration and supportive therapy.
"He was discharged on Sunday and has made a full recovery."
Without the GoodSAM app, Oscar may not have made it.
Andrew added: "It is so important that everyone in the UK has the GoodSAM Alerter app on their mobile phones.
"If a friend, family member or unknown person collapses in cardiac arrest or similar, pressing the emergency button on the app with automatically call emergency services as well as notify local first responders,
"It can be the difference between life and death."
Katie is now hoping to raise as much awareness for the life-saving app as possible.
She said: "I honestly thought I had lost my boy. I have never been so scared in my life.
"I have no doubt that our situation would have been entirely different if Andrew had not been here as quickly as he was.
"The ambulance crew were amazing, and took care of us. But they are so busy and we are in a small village so not on a main route.
"Please, please download this app, learn infant resuscitation and if you are a qualified medical professional please consider volunteering."
To find out more about the app, click here.
