An Asda pharmacy worker has been hailed a hero after helping a one-year-old baby who was in and out of unconsciousness.
Emily Halliwell, 24, was called over urgently by a travel bureau colleague on January 2 as a baby was “unconscious and limp in his mother’s arms”.
“His eyes kept rolling back to the top of his head,” said Halliwell. “He was unwell and his mum was in hysterics. It was a very scary time for everyone.”
Read more: ‘True life savers’: Asda pharmacy saves man’s life with CPR
The pharmacy worker has worked at the Derby Asda store for six years and been a first aider for one.
She called 999 and relayed information to the call handler while looking after the baby.
“I put the baby on the floor and took off a layer of clothing as the parents said he’d had a fever earlier in the day.
Read more: Boots dispenser saves man’s life after 15 mins of CPR
“I started to rub his tummy and was talking to him, and every time I spoke to him his eyes opened for a second.”
Halliwell said she was “just trying to keep him conscious” as he had shallow breathing, and after five minutes paramedics turned up “which was such a relief” to take him to hospital.
Saved life
The baby’s father came back to the store to thank Halliwell a few days later and told her his son had a febrile convulsion caused by a fever.
The baby was discharged from hospital and Halliwell is “happy that the baby has recovered and is doing okay”.
“Everyone keeps calling me a hero, but I just did what I could,” she added.
Read more: ‘Cabin pressure would have killed me!’: Pharmacist saves delivery driver from low oxygen tragedy
The Asda store’s community champion Rosie Winfield watched Halliwell help the baby and said “we can safely say that Emily saved that baby’s life”.
“She stayed incredibly calm and collected in what was a very distressing, traumatic and upsetting situation,” said Winfield.
Read more: ‘It could have been too late’: Welsh pharmacist helps wedding-goer spot early sepsis signs
“She kept reassuring the parents who were understandably inconsolable, while also trying to keep the baby’s eyes open and answering the questions from the emergency services operator.
“She is an absolute superstar,” Winfield added.
In July, an Asda pharmacist, alongside a retail colleague, took it in turns to perform CPR on a man who had collapsed while queuing for a prescription.
