A young 999 caller from East Sussex has met the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) call taker who helped them stay calm when their mum suffered a severe allergic reaction.
10-year-old, Noah along with his younger sister, Aurora, (four-years-old) have both been recognised by SECAmb for the important role they played when their mother experienced a potentially life-threatening medical emergency at the family’s home.
On 28 January 2026, mum Sophie was at home with Aurora when her lips suddenly began to swell and she felt her throat tightening. Realising she was suffering a severe allergic reaction, Sophie asked Aurora to fetch her older brother Noah, who immediately called 999.
Emergency Medical Advisor (EMA), Alison Cooper, was on the other end of the call and calmly guided Noah through what to do as help was arranged.
Alison said: "Noah was incredibly calm and mature throughout the call. It's never easy for anyone to deal with a loved one being seriously unwell, but he listened carefully, followed instructions and did exactly what his mum needed in that moment.
“Calls involving children always stay with you, so being able to meet Noah and Aurora afterwards was fantastic. To see them and Sophie doing so well was wonderful and I couldn't be prouder of how they both handled such a frightening situation."
While following the advice given over the phone, Sophie was able to administer her EpiPen. Volunteer Community First Responder (CFR) Faith Lee was the first person to reach the family, providing reassurance and support until further ambulance resources arrived.
Faith said: "As a CFR, you're there to help bridge those first crucial moments before ambulance crews arrive. Noah and Aurora were both remarkable. Despite what was happening to their mum, they stayed focused and helped ensure she received the care she needed. Noah also showed great awareness by helping to settle the family dog, moving it into another room and checking on it, which helped create a calmer environment while we cared for Sophie."
Further help arrived swiftly after and the team worked together to help stabilise Sophie before taking her to hospital for further care.
Sophie said: "It was a frightening experience and things happened very quickly. I'm incredibly proud of Noah and Aurora for how they reacted. They stayed calm, got help straight away and did exactly what was needed. I'm also so grateful to everyone at SECAmb, from Alison on the phone to Faith and the ambulance crews who cared for me. Without their help, things could have been very different."
To thank Noah and Aurora for their quick thinking and bravery, the siblings were recently invited to meet some of the people involved in helping their mum that day.
As well as meeting Alison, the voice at the other end of the phone, Noah and Aurora were reunited with CFR Faith, Paramedic Jasmine White and Student Paramedic Sophie-Louise Naylor at Gatwick Make Ready Centre. The visit gave the family an opportunity to thank those involved in Sophie’s care and see first-hand how emergency call handlers, volunteers and ambulance crews work together to help patients in their time of need.
Reflecting on the reunion, Sophie said: "It was really special to meet everyone again under such different circumstances. The last time we saw each other was during a very frightening situation, so being able to thank them in person and show them how well we're all doing now meant a great deal to us."
Jasmine said: "As ambulance clinicians, we don't always get to find out what happens after a patient leaves our care. It was wonderful to see Sophie doing so well and to meet Noah and Aurora again, whose quick actions played such an important role that day."
Sophie-Louise added: "As a student paramedic, you learn a lot from every patient you meet, but this was my first opportunity to attend a reunion and see the outcome of the care we provided. It was incredibly rewarding to see Sophie doing so well and to meet Noah and Aurora again. They showed such bravery during a very frightening situation and it was wonderful to celebrate them and their actions."
The visit also highlighted the vital role that CFRs play in supporting their local communities. As trained volunteers, CFRs can often reach patients quickly, especially in more rural areas, providing essential care while ambulance resources are on their way. The incident reflects SECAmb’s commitment to delivering high-quality care through strong teamwork between its emergency operations centres, community resilience and volunteer teams, and frontline ambulance crews.
The team presented Noah and Aurora with certificates of recognition at the reunion in acknowledgement of their calm, quick-thinking actions, which helped their mum receive the urgent care she needed.