Family take on ambulance fundraiser after baby resuscitation

Charlie and Laura are aiming to walk, run and cycle 90 miles for the SCAS charity by the end of March

A mother who saved the life of her eight-week-old baby is taking part in a fundraising challenge to thank the paramedics who came to their aid.

Laura Turner's son Charlie stopped breathing in his car seat in 2018.

She was able to resuscitate him with the help of a South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) call handler and Charlie made a full recovery.

Ms Turner and her family are joining the Outrun an Ambulance challenge, aiming to walk, run or cycle 90 miles.

Charlie was being taken to a baby music group in Reading in September 2018 when he began crying and soon after stopped breathing.

"I got him out of the seat quickly and at that point he was grey and floppy," Ms Turner, 30, said.

"Initially I panicked as blood then began coming out of his nose and, honestly, I thought he was gone."

She called 999 and, because she had taken a baby first aid course during her pregnancy, knew to lay Charlie down and begin rescue breaths.

"I held him in the baby recovery position so the blood didn't go into his airway and I remember the operator talking me through things and telling me that Charlie could hear me and to reassure him."

Ambulance crews arrived within six minutes to stabilise Charlie and transfer him to hospital.

Charlie spent a week in paediatric intensive care

The Outrun an Ambulance challenge encourages people to walk, run, swim, scoot, cycle or ride the average distance driven by an ambulance on a typical shift near them.

"We are so grateful to the team who helped us, including the operator on the phone, and are just really happy we can do a little to give back," said Ms Turner

Paramedic Danielle Drury said: "Your instinct and training kicks in, I knew we had to keep Charlie warm and get him to hospital as quickly and as safely as possible."

"It's amazing people want to give back and what we do has had such a positive impact on their lives."