Scottish Ambulance ServiceA brother and sister who saved their mum’s life after she suffered a cardiac arrest at home have been recognised for their bravery by the First Minister.
Oliver, 12, and Arianna, 11, jumped into action after their mum Donna Liddle fell ill at home in Aberdeen last year.
After finding Donna unresponsive on the floor, Arianna called 999 and fetched a neighbour for help while Oliver put her into the recovery position.
After speaking to the call handler, several ambulance staff were dispatched and help arrived within six minutes.
Donna said: “I’m very grateful it happened when they were here and also when I wasn’t sleeping. I’m very grateful for everything they did. If it wasn’t for them being here and their fast actions, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Speaking to STV News, Arianna said: “We got award because we saved mum.
“We knew what to do from guides in school and from scouts. We just tried to do our best, and if we stayed calm then we could think about what we could do better, and our thoughts could come to us better.”
Oliver and Arianna were presented with Brave@Heart awards by the First Minister at Bute House this week, alongside nine emergency service workers and three other members of the public.
Since 2010, the awards have recognised acts of bravery by emergency service workers, voluntary sector rescue organisations and members of the public.
“Everyone who has received an award has, in a moment that truly mattered, stepped forward with bravery and conviction,” Swinney said.
“That is clear from the powerful stories shared by the validation panel, and even more so from hearing these experiences firsthand.
“With these awards, we shine a light on their courage, so that their stories can continue to inspire others. They remind us that bravery can come from anywhere, in any circumstance and that bravery can make all the difference.”
Submitted photo‘I was in the right place at the right time’
Karen Dunnet also received an award from the First Minister.
In August 2023, the former police officer came across a car crash on a rural country road near Dolphington in the Scottish Borders.
The vehicles had ignited with two people trapped inside one of the cars, but Karen remained calm and pulled the driver to safety.
She returned to the scene and successfully pulled the passenger to safety as well, before both vehicles became fully ablaze.
“I was just in the right place at the right time,” the 54-year-old told STV News.
“After being in the police for 20 years, you just deal with incidents as you come across them.
“Its just something that needed to be done at the time and thankfully I knew what to do and how to act.”
Karen said she never expected to receive an award for her actions, but said it has been “very humbling”.
“I’m taken aback at receiving awards for just doing what needed doing at the time,” she said.
Scottish Ambulance Service‘It was just a day in the life of a paramedic’
Two paramedics from Fraserburgh also took home awards for descending an extremely high and unstable cliff to rescue a patient.
Jill Summers and Colene Buchan were part of a multi-agency response after a person attempted to take their life.
The pair, along with the fire service, descended the unstable rocks to reach the patient at the bottom and treat their injuries as best they could while the lifeboat, coastguard teams, and the coastguard helicopter arrived to take the patient to safety.
At the time, Jill said she and Colene were just doing what they were trained to do.
“You don’t really think about it because you’re just doing your job,” Jill said.
“You don’t really think you’re doing anything different. It’s just a day in the working life of a paramedic.”
Colene added: “The truth is I was just doing my job – every technician and paramedic puts themselves at risk on every shift not knowing what we are going into.”
When they were nominated for the award, Jill said she thought they had called the wrong person.
“I thought ‘why am I getting this award?'” Jill said.
“I didn’t realise I had done anything different. It was amazing. I was chuffed, totally humbled. It felt unreal.”
Colene said: “I felt very lucky and grateful to receive a Brave @ Heart award on Tuesday night along with my colleague Jill.
“Working at a rural station, we’re fortunate to share our base with the fire service and have a great rapport with them, as well as with the police, lifeboat, and coastguard teams.”
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