Hornchurch girl, 6, awarded for 'lifesaving' 999 call

Cali-Maii Ball, six, immediately dialled 999 after she woke up to see her mum, Lauren, desperately gasping for air in the middle of the night.

She told the call handler, Laura Lehmer of London Ambulance Service, that she believed her mum was having an asthma attack.

“Mummy is really struggling to breathe”, she said to Laura.

She then gave the service their exact address and unlocked the door to let the ambulance crew come in.

LAS medics, who reportedly arrived in just four minutes of the call, immediately started treating Lauren who was said to be losing consciousness.

A spokesperson for LAS said that Lauren was given life support to help her breathe by paramedics William Grove, Daniella Robinson, Sam Taylor and Laura Canty. She was then rushed to Queens Hospital where she was admitted into intensive care and put on a ventilator.

Read More: Romford girl celebrated for 999 call after mum's collapse

Lauren said if it wasn’t for her daughter calling 999 so quickly and the paramedics intervening promptly, this would have been “a really different story”.

She added: “I’ll never be able to show them all how grateful I am for saving me.”

Cali-Maii was handed an award this week in a reunion with Sam and Daniella.

From Left - LAS paramedic Sam Taylor, Cali-Maii Ball, Lauren Ball, and LAS paramedic Daniella Robinson (Image: London Ambulance Service)

Calling Cali-Maii a hero, Sam said: “A few extra minutes could have cost her mother her life.

“Lauren was very close to going into cardiac arrest and it was Cali’s incredibly quick cry for help that saved her.”

Lauren, a mother-of-two, has since called for parents across the country to teach their children what to do in an emergency.

She said: “Cali’s actions were life changing and if our story can help even one more parent get the help they need in a life-threatening situation, I’d be over the moon.”