Department of Public Safety Communications

Published 28th March 2003, 12:0am

Would your child know what to do to save your life in an emergency? Twelve-year-old Leroy Bodden did and his mother is thankful for it. March 4th was a normal day at Mary Ann McField's home in West Bay. Her son Leroy returned home from school and went into his room for a rest after a busy day. His siblings, Jordan aged five and Jamal aged two were playing quietly so their mother who was recovering from the flu, decided to lie down for a while. Around 5:30 p.m. Leroy awoke to a loud thud and got up to investigate. He found his mother unconscious, lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. Immediately, he bicycled down the street to his cousin's house to use the phone. Not wanting his brother and sister to see their injured mother, he also asked his cousin to come back and help. "I asked her to call my older sister who was at work too," inserts Leroy. 911 received a call from Leroy shortly after 5:30 p.m. He explained that his mother had fallen and 'buss her head' and to send the ambulance straight away. Leroy added that he had not seen what happened but that there was a lot of blood and he was a bit scared. "You would never have known that he was scared because he stayed calm. He gave me all the details I needed and followed the instructions we gave him," comments Manager for Emergency Communications, Juliette Gooding. During the call Ms. Gooding heard Leroy talking to his mother, trying to keep her awake, even before she instructed him to do so. When asked to describe what was going through his mind at the time, Leroy said he felt like he was going to have a heart attack because he was so frightened. As he was given instructions he directed his cousin, who eventually arrived at the house, on what to do. When his cousin did not do exactly what he told her he was heard saying, "No, don't do that, the lady said to do it this way." He followed every one of our directions, adds Ms. Gooding. "I'm so proud of Leroy!" exclaims his mother who is pleased that he is being recognised as a 911 hero. Ms. McField received eight stitches to the cut on her head. "I heard my youngest son crying and was rushing up to go to him when I slipped on a mat and hit my head on a concrete wall, knocking myself out," she continues. The doctor who treated her said that she was extremely lucky because if the wound had been one inch deeper she may not have lived. "I'm glad I could help my mom," concludes Leroy, explaining that he read about how to use 911 in the newspaper. "I love my mum very much and I don't want anything bad to ever happen to her." Commenting on Leroy's actions, Ms. Gooding says: "Although what Leroy saw was terrifying for him, he was able to act fast and assist his mother. We at Emergency Communications 911 are very proud of children like Leroy and are pleased to award him with a certificate and medal for his bravery. This situation is a very good example of how important it is for children and everyone in a household to know their house number and street name. He knew both and even gave specific directions to his house." Minister responsible for Emergency Communications, Hon. Linford Pierson, OBE, JP is also thrilled with Leroy's bravery and delighted with how the situation turned out, "Leroy used the 911 system appropriately and offered all the correct information that resulted in getting help for his mother. He is without doubt a 911 hero and an example to both children and adults."