Eight-Year-Old Commended for Assisting Brother After Hot Drink Scalding Incident

Eight-year-old Farah Alim-Palmer reflected on her 999 call when her baby brother sustained burns from spilling a hot beverage on himself, stating, “I felt like he trusted me and I trusted him.” Farah was at her Islington, north London residence with her mother and 18-month-old brother, Gabriel, when the incident occurred. Gabriel was scalded after reaching for the hot drink on a counter. “I heard a big smash,” she recounted. “I turned around and saw my brother Gabi crying and crying. I felt panicked.” In recognition of her bravery during the emergency call, Farah received an invitation to the London Ambulance Service’s headquarters. There, she met the personnel who provided assistance to her family. She was also presented with a special certificate acknowledging her actions. Matthew Hawkins, the call handler, expressed that he would always remember his conversation with Farah due to her exceptional courage and helpfulness. Farah described the sequence of events: “My mum ran up to the bathroom with Gabi.” She continued, “I stepped around the broken teacup and ran up to the bathroom where my mum was showering Gabi’s burns and she handed me the phone. “I felt excited as I had never talked to an ambulance person before, but I wasn’t sure what to say. “But then it all came to me because the person on the phone made me feel really calm and safe.” Farah further explained, “He asked me questions about my brother and told me what to do. I told him my address, my house number and our postcode. I felt like he trusted me and I trusted him.” Gabriel has since made a complete recovery from the burn. He has a minor scar that is anticipated to fade as he matures. Mr. Hawkins conveyed his “delighted” sentiment at meeting Farah and her family. He remarked, “She was extremely brave.” He added, “There’s a good handful of calls that I will never forget and this is one of them.” Nadja, Farah’s mother, stated she was “amazed” by her daughter’s composed demeanor during the phone call. She commented, “I was surprised that Farah knew our address, including the postcode, off by heart.” Nadja emphasized, “To say I’m very proud is an understatement.” She offered advice to other parents: “My advice to parents would be to teach children from the age of about six the number for emergency services and also their full address. “We have been doing this with Farah’s younger sister since the accident.” During their visit to the London Ambulance headquarters in Waterloo, Farah, along with her siblings Gabriel and Anouk, had the opportunity to sit inside an ambulance, ride on a specialized London Ambulance motorcycle, and try on a paramedic’s helmet.