Schoolgirl, 9, honoured by London Ambulance Service after saving family's lives following carbon monoxide leak

A schoolgirl who saved her family’s lives following a carbon monoxide leak has been honoured by the London Ambulance Service.

Rawda Mohamud, from Oval, dialled 999 after finding her mother Anisa Abdirahman lying on their kitchen floor in the middle of the night.

Rawda, then nine, had been woken by the carbon monoxide alarm. Doctors later told Ms Abdirahman that she, Rawda and her twin brother, Ridwan, all pictured, may not have survived if the call had come even 10 minutes later.

In the incident, which happened two days before Christmas last year, Ms Abdirahman was overcome by the fumes and collapsed, hitting her head.

When she discovered her on the floor, Rawda dialled 999 and told the call handler her mother could not “stay awake or open her eyes”.

Her actions saved the life of her mother Anisa and her brother Ridwan
LAS

With the alarm ringing out, she gave the operator her full address, postcode and phone number. She then went next door and woke her neighbours to warn them and ask them to help her family out of the flat.

Rawda, now 10, said: “I didn’t expect London Ambulance Service to recognise me but it makes me feel good. I feel proud of myself for what I’ve done for my family. I think I managed to stay calm because I always knew everything would be OK.

“I would say to other children, be careful and be calm. You don’t believe something like this will happen to you but you never know. You should learn how to give your full address and learn your mum’s phone number.”

Ms Abdirahman said: “I didn’t know how sick I was until I got to hospital and the doctor said if I had been there on the floor another 10 minutes we could have all been gone. I’m so proud of Rawda.

“I started teaching both the children how to make a 999 call when they were four. All parents should teach their children — you never know if you will need help one day.”

Rawda was given a “life savers” certificate by emergency medical technician Stuart Shelley, who treated the family. He said: “For a child that young to be so calm when something so traumatic has happened is just outstanding.”

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