Two young sisters from Croydon have been recognised by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) after their calm and courageous actions helped save their mother’s life during a medical emergency. Six-year-old Pearl sprang into action last summer when her mother, Carole, suddenly collapsed at home after suffering a seizure caused by a serious brain bleed.

With her four-year-old sister Amelia by her side, Pearl quickly unlocked her mother’s phone and dialled 999, demonstrating remarkable composure despite the frightening situation. Speaking about the moment, Pearl explained that she knew exactly what to do because she had memorised the emergency number. Her motivation was simple but powerful—she loved her mother and wanted to help if anything ever went wrong.

During the call, Pearl calmly described her mother’s condition to the handler, explaining that she was unconscious, intermittently opening and closing her eyes, and had been shaking and foaming at the mouth. She also clearly provided their home address and followed instructions to check whether her mother was breathing, confirming that her chest was rising and falling.

Call handler Gen Hinds reassured the young girl throughout the call, encouraging her to stay calm while help was on the way.

Paramedic Charlotte Aisbitt arrived at the scene in under five minutes, shortly followed by an ambulance crew. She later praised both Pearl and Amelia for their bravery, describing their actions as “incredible” in such a distressing situation.

Despite being understandably frightened, the sisters remained composed and even assisted the paramedics by gathering essential items for their mother’s hospital trip.

Carole was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered she had suffered a life-threatening bleed on the brain. Thanks to the swift response initiated by her daughters, she has since made a strong recovery.

Reflecting on the incident, Carole expressed immense pride in her children, saying the experience had been one of the proudest moments of her life. She noted that while she always knew Pearl was intelligent, she could not have predicted how well she would handle such an emergency.

In recognition of their actions, the sisters were presented with commendation certificates and given the opportunity to meet the emergency responders who helped save their mother. They were also shown around an ambulance and introduced to some of the life-saving equipment used by paramedics.

Stuart Crichton, Director of 999 Operations at LAS, commended Pearl’s actions, highlighting her ability to remain calm, provide clear information, and ensure help arrived quickly in a critical moment.

Our Residents were equally impressed and took to the TSB Instagram comment section to express their amazement at the sister's bravery. Commenting on Pearl's 999 call, one comment read: "The because I really love my mum, WOW!! The floodgates opened." Another added, "Being a single mum I had to tell my sons if anything happens to me this is what u do it’s crazy the things u have to think about when u become a parent ! Well done girls." A third chimed in writing, "Lord I’m tired of crying for strangers on the internet. My heart is so full."