Trainee emergency line worker saves baby's life with call

A trainee 999 worker in the UK saved the life of a newborn baby when he was born purple and not breathing, it has been revealed.

Victoria McKenna, 26, went into labour while alone at her brother’s home and dialled 999 for an ambulance.

But because the labour had progressed so far and since Ms McKenna did not know the postcode of her brother’s property, the operator, Danielle Byng, had to talk her through the entire birth.

A female relative arrived at the address and Miss Byng, who joined West Midlands Ambulance service in August, told her exactly how to ensure the procedure went smoothly.

When baby Lewis was born purple and not breathing, Danielle stayed calm and guided his mother through the process of starting his breathing.

She told her to rub Lewis’s back with a towel and he was soon taking his first gulps of air.

Danielle said: “When I answered the call the lady was having continuous contractions and was in a lot of pain and was completely on her own in the house.

“She was having difficulty telling me the address.

“Then a relative came home and I persuaded the mother to let her into the bathroom and then she told me she could see the head already.

“I guided the relative through the birth and told them what to do, but when the baby was born it was purple and not breathing so I told her to rub its back with a towel and then it started breathing.

“I have never felt so relieved in my life. I just burst into tears.”

New mother Ms McKenna said: “She did really well, I had no idea she was a trainee, she was very good.

“I couldn’t tell her the address as I wasn’t at home, I was at my brother’s house and didn’t know the details like how to spell the road name or what the postcode was and I was in a lot of pain.

“She was telling me what to do and that I was doing really well and then my brother’s girlfriend, Sophie, came home and I gave her the phone.

“I was really scared when he was born and wasn’t breathing but she told us what to do and he is absolutely fine now.”

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “Danielle definitely saved the baby’s life.

“His mother and the other woman present didn’t know what to do and they wouldn’t have known if Danielle hadn’t told them.

“The situation could have had a very different outcome.”

Daren Fradgley, head of the Emergency Operations Centre at Millennium Point, Birmingham, said: “This is a fantastic performance.

“Delivering a baby in person is often a very difficult challenge but, not only advising on delivery but also providing advice for a baby that is not breathing, on the phone, and with a positive outcome is a fantastic achievement.”