Jamie Miller, father of Tyler (aged 8) and Amber (aged 4) was on his own, alone with the kids, when he began to feel unwell.
Jamie was experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) but was not able to make anyone aware that he was feeling sick. The father of two then slipped into a diabetic coma.
Diabetic ketoacidosis is caused due to a lack of insulin which causes harmful substances called ketones to build up in the blood.
Upon finding his father, on the floor, unconscious, and hardly breathing, Tyler took his father’s phone and called 999, once through to the call handling team he told them: “Daddy is sick.”
Whilst scared and doing everything to help his Dad, Tyler kept his distressed four-year-old sister calm as he spoke to the call handler.
The call was passed to colleague and dispatcher, Laura Bloomfield, who remembers the job. She said,
“Although I didn't speak to Tyler directly, his actions recognising his dad needed help and calling 999 were so brave and extremely mature.”
Paramedic, Annie O’Sullivan, responded to the call with her crewmate and ambulance service practitioner (ASP), Jan Swiatek. On arrival to the incident, Annie spoke to Tyler and recalls,
“I had a little chat with Tyler, asking him how long his daddy had been unwell and how he knew what to do if dad was poorly. He said that his dad had told him what to do.”
If not for Tyler’s intervention, Jamie’s diabetic attack could have been fatal.
Jan added, “I joined the ambulance service to help people. I'm happy to be back and it's good to see the kids are well.”
Tyler has been reunited with the crew who helped save his father’s life. Sam, Tyler’s mother described the reunion,
“It’s a way to thank the crew and the call handler that took Tyler's call, they made the right decision. I can imagine that wouldn't have been an easy call.”
Crew member, Annie, welcomed the reunion with Tyler and Jamie. She said,
“It feels nice to be reunited with Jamie and Tyler, it’s rare that we can follow up patients due to the nature of the job.”
Knowing what to do in an emergency can make a lot of difference. You and your family can learn lifesaving skills on our website, covering what to do in an emergency, to find out more, please visit: https://
Diabetic ketoacidosis usually affects people with type 1 diabetes, but it can also happen in people with type 2 diabetes who need insulin. To find out more about diabetic ketoacidosis, please visit: https://