A 12‑year‑old girl has been praised as a “remarkable" young hero by staff at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals after she came to her mum's aid when she suddenly collapsed during an appointment.
Helen Whaite, of Leyland, was at Royal Preston Hospital for her daughter Alex's neurology appointment when Alex, who herself has epilepsy, noticed something was wrong shortly after her mum returned to the waiting area after going to the toilet.
Within seconds, her mum Helen became unresponsive – and Alex didn’t hesitate.
She tapped her mum on the shoulder, called out for help when she received no response, and stayed right by her side, preventing her from injuring herself while alerting staff.
Hospital colleagues rushed to help, but later said it was Alex’s calmness and quick judgement that stood out.
Helen remembers very little of what happened – but was later told about how her daughter stopped her from hitting nearby furniture as she fell unwell.
Helen said: "I'd gone with Alex for her appointment, and went to the toilet and sat down, and the next thing I know is I'm surrounded by doctors back in the waiting room! Alex said she knew something wasn't right. She jokes that I stole her appointment!
"I think Alex has just learned from experience – I've had this sort of thing before, and she's also done First Aid training at school.
"I don't remember anything, but she shouted for help and stayed with me to make sure I didn't hurt myself. She had to stop me hitting my head on the TV that was next to us."
“I’m so proud of her,” she added. “All the staff couldn't believe how grown-up Alex was, and how calm she stayed. She was very brave. She was worried and found it very upsetting, but she stayed so calm – I don't think I could have been so calm at her age, it wasn't a nice thing for her to have to see. I don't like thinking of her having to see that sort of thing."
Alex was looked after on the Children's Ward while mum was treated, getting the chance to use the play area.
Victoria Atkinson, Matron for Community and Specialist Nursing Services for Children and Young People at the Trust, said: "It is wonderful that Alex’s bravery and calmness during her Mum having a seizure has been recognised and rewarded. It is even more remarkable as Alex herself has epilepsy. This demonstrates that Alex has a clear understanding of how to manage a seizure and has taken real ownership of having epilepsy herself.
"If Alex wanted to have a career in nursing, she has all the attributes needed to be a responsive, caring, and compassionate nurse."
To recognise her bravery, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust arranged a surprise presentation for Alex – turning what she thought would be a routine appointment into a special moment celebrating her courage and presence of mind.
Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity gave her a goody bag, including a resilience certificate designed to celebrate bravery.
Thankfully, Alex’s mum has since made a good recovery. And while everyone hopes Alex will never need to use those skills again, staff all remembered the 12‑year‑old who stepped up when it mattered most, when she returned for a later appointment.
