By Lisa Ramsden
A Newcastle student has been praised by her school for helping a seriously ill man last week. Seventeen-year-old Emily McMullan had just left Shimna Integrated College last Tuesday and was making her way to a leadership course in the town centre when she immediately realised the man was in trouble.
Collapsed and lying on a pavement, he was experiencing repeat seizures. Emily, who is also a member of the Downpatrick School of Lifesaving, was on her way to complete a first aid course when she saw him. Without a second thought, she immediately went to assist several adults, one of whom happened to be an off-duty nurse, who had spotted the man just moments earlier.
Using her schoolbag and some of her uniform, Emily ensured his head was cushioned from the pavement as he continued to convulse. She also assisted in keeping the man in the recovery position, whilst timing how far apart the seizures were occurring. In addition, she timed how far apart he was fitting, as well as monitoring his pulse rate.
As the incident unfolded, Emily sprinted up to the YMCA, at The Belfry, where she summoned extra help from one of the leaders, Sean Edgell, who gave further support. She has played down her role in the incident but said she was fortunate to know some basic, but vital, things to do when someone has taken unwell.
“I just did what I had to do, there was no way I could have walked past and not helped,” she said. “You learn these different things and then in real life, when it has to be used, it just kicks in and we did what we could to keep him as comfortable and settled as possible until the ambulance arrived.”
The ever-modest Emily said she never once thought that she should not help. “As soon as I saw him, I knew he needed as much help as possible. I did my little bit, but I didn’t do it to be praised, I did it because it was the right and proper thing to do.”
She concluded: “I suppose it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. It was the right thing to do. I could not not do anything in the circumstances.”
In the full article Emma’s teacher pays tribute to the schoolgirl’s quick thinking.
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