Sisters Honored for Emergency Call After Father’s Collapse

Bravery awards have been presented to two girls who contacted emergency services following their father’s collapse. Maisie Tooley, 11, and Grace Tooley, 12, were at their residence in Toton, Nottinghamshire, on 13 September when their father, Adam Tooley, collapsed, hitting his head and subsequently experiencing a seizure. They promptly dialed 999 and proceeded to follow the given instructions, ensuring their father’s airway remained clear and providing updates on his state to medical personnel. Their parents expressed that they were “really proud” that the girls’ actions led to their nomination by the emergency call handler they communicated with. Mr. Tooley, a general practitioner, recounted: “I had only been back home 20 minutes and was tidying stuff away when I started to feel light-headed.” He added, “My next memory is being in the back of the ambulance.” Grace shared her account: “Dad was heating up dinner when he told me he felt dizzy.” She continued, “He then went into the hallway and fell backwards and hit his head on the cabinet, which made his head bleed.” Grace further stated, “I shook him and shouted at him but got no response. He started shaking.” Maisie explained: “I called 999 while Grace was on the phone to our mum.” She added, “We were scared but the lady on the phone from the ambulance service told us to roll him on his back and see if his chest was going up and down.” Maisie concluded, “She helped us by giving us instructions of what we needed to do to help dad.” Sam Priestley, an emergency medical advisor who took the call, commented: “I could not fault them from start to finish.” Priestley noted, “Grace and Maisie were able to get their dad the response he needed based on the vital information they were able to provide during the call.” Priestley further elaborated, “They were able to give me clear and direct answers to every question I asked them, despite being faced with the very scary situation of their dad being poorly, bleeding and unresponsive.” Mr. Tooley’s diagnosis indicated a vasovagal syncope – defined as a brief loss of consciousness associated with stress – an event he characterized as “a wake-up call.” He stated: “I’m really proud of Grace and Maisie for what they did.” He continued, “While I feel guilty for putting them through this ordeal, it’s reassuring they would know what to do if faced with an emergency situation again.”