The bravery and quick thinking of two young children from Chatham, Kent, ensured their mum received the medical care she needed from ambulance colleagues.

Seven-year-old Nyah-Lei and five-year-old Leon Junior were brave enough to call 999 for their mum, Dominique, who had collapsed and come over faint with extreme abdominal pain, on 21 June 2024.

Dominique, a mum of three, had been experiencing bad cramps throughout the day. As she arrived home from school after picking up the children, the pain began to worsen.

Nyah-Lei called 999 and spoke with Emergency Medical Advisor, Lauren Messenger, who quickly identified children were at the scene. The nearest resource, Paramedic, Dawn Williams and Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Gemma Coulson, were then dispatched to the scene.

Dawn and Gemma were greeted by five-year-old Leon Junior at the door who led the way to poorly mum.

The pair assessed and treated Dominique before taking her to Medway Maritime Hospital where, after various tests, it was confirmed she has endometriosis, a long-term condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

To thank the children for being so brave, the family visited our Medway Make Ready Centre in Gillingham where they were reunited with Dawn and Gemma. They were able to have a tour of our emergency operations centre (EOC) to see exactly where their 999 call came in to, as well as being shown round the inside of an ambulance.

Dominique said: “We got home, and I suddenly started to feel excruciating pain and came over faint. I was drifting in and out of consciousness and the next thing I remember is the ambulance crew in our living room.”

Dawn said: “I was over the moon to get the opportunity to see Nyah-Lei and Leon Junior again. It's not often we get the chance to reunite with those we've helped, and I’m so proud of how well they handled the situation and took action to get the help their mum needed."

Dominique said: “I couldn’t be prouder of them that they knew to call 999 in a situation like that and to get their mummy help. They even made sure my youngest was safe in his pram, and called their dad to let him know what was happening.”

Gemma said: “Meeting Nyah-Lei and Leon Junior again was a really special moment. They showed such maturity during what must have been a really scary situation. It’s not every day you get to see the positive impact first-hand, and I’m proud to have been part of the team that responded that day.”