Six-year-old boy saves his mum who has severe hypo

A six-year-old boy has been hailed a hero after saving his mum’s life by calling paramedics when he found her having a severe hypo.
Bethany Ure, 30, who has had type 1 diabetes since she was a child, had previously shown her so, Henry, how to dial 999 on her mobile. She also showed him where she kept her Lucozade stock for when she was too dizzy to walk.
On this particular occasio, she awoke in the morning severely unwell and was unable to communicate much before losing consciousness.
Speaking to The Bristol Post, Bethany said: “I was having an extreme hypo. I managed to call Henry into my room and point to my Lucozade. He got me a bottle from downstairs and sat with me.
“I was unable to drink much, as I couldn’t get my body to do what I was telling it. I managed to slide out of bed and ‘army crawl’ down the stairs, at which point I passed out. I awoke to Henry sat next to me on the phone; next thing I know, my brother appeared, followed by an ambulance.”
It turned out that Henry had indeed managed to call the emergency services, telling the operator his home address and that his “mummy has diabetes”. This prompted immediate action and an ambulance was called.
Bethany, eternally grateful to her so, said: “That boy saved my life. I couldn’t talk, I could only make noises. It hasn’t ever happened before, so I always told him how to act and he actually did it. It was pretty amazing.”
Severe hypoglycemia occurs when a person with diabetes has very low blood sugar levels, which is defined as a medical emergency. If drinking or eating something sweet does not ease the symptoms then further treatment must be immediately sought.
Editor’s note: For more information on recognising, treating and understanding the causes of severe hypos, visit our Hypo Training Program. Six months after completing the program, 63% of users experience fewer severe hypos.
Picture: Bristol Post