Schoolboy meets ‘hero’ paramedic who saved his life
WHEN 10-year-old George Howell tucked into a bag of mixed nuts, little did he realise that within minutes his mum would be making an emergency call to the Welsh Ambulance Service.
The schoolboy had endured a difficult few years bravely fighting serious illnesses and the mixed nuts were part of a diet designed to get him back up to strength.
But unfortunately the Brazil nut, which was found to be the culprit, was a “nut too far” for George – who had a severe allergic reaction.
“George was happily tucking into the bag of nuts when all of a sud- den he started stroking his neck,” said his mum Helen.
“He then ran out of the front door and was physically sick and tried drinking water but nothing seemed to be working. George was breathing very heavily and was having an anaphylactic reaction.
“I phoned 999 and the ambulance service calltaker was excellent. She told me to try and keep George calm and still, gave me some advice and directions, and told me to go back to George while the paramedic was on his way.”
Helen said she tried to give her son an antihistamine but he couldn’t keep it down. His face then started to swell and he had a rash of white spots on his neck.
She added: “I comforted George on the settee and it was not long before our ‘knight in shining armour’ arrived in the form of paramedic Alex Becker, from Maesteg.
“He was fantastic and knew exactly what to do. I honestly don’t know what we’d have done without him. He was so good with George and quite honestly if it wasn’t for Alex I dread to think where George would be today.”
The events of that day, in March last year, are em- bedded deep in the Howell family.
So when Helen came across Alex attending to a patient in Cowbridge some months later, she ran over to meet him.
But the paramedic had to leave to attend another call before George could come and meet him.
Sixteen months on from George’s ordeal, following several emails to the Welsh Ambulance Service, Alex visited the family at their home in Cowbridge.
“It’s wonderful to meet up with George, Helen and the family again,” said Alex, who lives with wife Jess near Maesteg.
“George was very poorly when I last turned up at the house. I was acting clinical team leader at the time and, though I’ve been doing this job for over five years, I’ve only had a small handful of ‘anaphylactic reaction’ type calls which have been as serious.
“I can’t believe how well George is today. He’s a brave boy and I hope he now goes on from strength to strength.
“It’s lovely that he and his mother have wanted to thank me in person. For me, what I did with George is just part of my job but to find the family so grateful is very uplifting and a boost to me and my colleagues in the service.
“In fact, it should be me thanking George because as a result of attending his call, I soon realised that back on the road attending calls day to day is exactly what I wanted to do rather than going out on calls now and again.
“So that’s where I am now as full-time paramedic working out of Cowbridge Ambulance Station – and loving every minute of it.”
George presented a ‘thank you’ card to Alex on which he’d written the words: “You are the light in the darkness. Thank you.”
On meeting Alex for the first time since his allergic reaction, George said: “Alex is my hero!”