A Kent girl of four relayed a 999 call handler's questions to her mum, then knocked on three doors for help. SECAmb thanked her at its Paddock Wood centre.

A four-year-old girl has been given a bravery certificate at South East Coast Ambulance Service’s (SECAmb) Paddock Wood Make Ready Centre. She helped a 999 call handler while her mum was seriously ill, then went door to door to find a neighbour who could help.

Her mum was taken to Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury with a suspected stroke. The trust describes the family only as from Kent and does not say which town they live in.

The call

In March 2026, Holly was at home with her partner, four-year-old Delilah and their two-year-old twins. She developed chest pain, struggled to breathe and could no longer feel her hands or feet, the trust said.

Holly’s partner dialled 999. The twins needed him, so he passed the phone to Delilah.

She spoke to Emergency Medical Advisor (EMA) Chloe in SECAmb’s Medway Emergency Operations Centre. Delilah relayed Chloe’s questions to her mum and described her symptoms. That helped Chloe gather what she needed to send the right response.

Delilah has speech and language difficulties. As talking grew harder for her, and with Holly also struggling to speak, she handed the phone back to her dad and went for help. She knocked on three neighbours’ doors until she found someone who could come and support the family.

The call was triaged as Category 2. A crew reached the house within 15 minutes of the 999 call. Delilah stayed calmly by her mum’s side while the crew assessed her, and Holly was then taken to Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

Back at Paddock Wood

Six months on, Delilah returned with her mum, dad and siblings to the Paddock Wood Make Ready Centre. There she met Chloe, Operational Team Leader Alex and Paramedic Charlotte, who presented her with the certificate. She was also shown round an ambulance and switched on its lights.

“We’re so proud of Delilah,” Holly said. “It was a frightening moment for all of us, but she listened to Chloe and helped me answer her questions. She stayed by my side while the paramedics took care of me and remained calm in a very upsetting situation. It meant a lot to come back as a family and recognise her bravery.”

Chloe said: “Delilah did an incredible job. She listened carefully and passed my questions to her mum, helping us understand what was happening. It was lovely to meet her and her family in person and present her with a certificate for her bravery.”

Why it matters here

Paddock Wood is about six miles east of Tunbridge Wells, and Tunbridge Wells Hospital is the main hospital for the borough. SECAmb answers 999 calls across Kent, Surrey, Sussex and part of north-east Hampshire, and runs NHS 111 in Kent and Sussex.

A suspected stroke is a Category 2 call. NHS England’s standard for those is an average response of 18 minutes (SECAmb, response time targets). The crew in Delilah’s case arrived inside 15.

Membership of the trust is free. Members get a newsletter with health tips and invitations to ambulance service events (secamb.nhs.uk).