Mum thanks public for saving seizure son's life

Lauren Richardson said the people who stopped and helped potentially saved her son's life

A mother has thanked members of the public who helped her son as he had a seizure.

Six-year-old Liam started fitting in the back of the car as Lauren Richardson, from Hartlepool, made her way home last month.

She was forced to pull over near a roundabout and strangers ran to help after hearing her terrified screams.

Liam has since recovered and been referred to a specialist clinic for further treatment.

Ms Richardson was in the car with her three children after picking Liam up from Pokémon club.

She had stopped at a supermarket to buy a can of condensed milk and "gave it to Liam to hold in the back of the car".

Liam had never had a fit before

She then heard a thud as Liam dropped the can, and saw a can of Pepsi Max she had between the two front seats "go flying".

"I was like, 'Liam, what you doing?' and I got no response," she said.

She asked her other son Lucas, 8, what was happening and he said Liam was "being funny".

Ms Richardson said: "I just thought he was messing about because the two boys wind each other up all the time."

'Freaking out'

When she saw Liam was having a fit, she pulled on to the central reservation near the Stag and Monkey roundabout on the A689 and started screaming for help.

By the time she got Liam out of the car he had gone "floppy", Ms Richardson said.

Two men came over to help and one of them called 999.

Ms Richardson said: "At this point, I was just freaking out."

Two more women then came over and "took over", with one sitting in the car looking after the other children and the other keeping an eye on Liam.

"I remember they were trying to get me to talk to him and keep calm but I absolutely wasn't calm, I was just crying and screaming and worrying."

Liam has now been referred to a clinic to look into the cause of his seizure

Ms Richardson said she wants to express her "absolute heartfelt thanks" to all the people who helped.

"In fairness I do know you have to do the recovery position, but because it was my own kid I was absolutely frozen dead on my feet, I couldn't do anything other than scream for help," she said.

She knows the men were called Leon and Stephen, but she does not know names of the women.

"They potentially could have saved his life," she said, adding: "To all of them again, just, thank you."