Does Your Child Know How To Dial 999?

A mum from Dorset has launched her own website offering advice to parents on teaching their kids how to dial 999.

That's what Jo Keeling did -and it saved her life.           

She lives with her husband and two young children, daughter Izzy and son Ollie.

When Izzy was aged just two and a half she saved Jo’s life by calling an ambulance after Jo had suffered a severe allergic reaction.

But how did this two and a half year old girl know to call the ambulance and what to say?

From a young age Izzy and Jo would play games of doctors and nurses that would involve dialling 999 to call an ambulance. Izzy showed great interest in the telephone and would dial numbers as Jo called them out to her. Izzy was also taught her name, address and telephone number, vital information a child may need in any emergency situation.

Jo says: “All young children should be educated about emergency situations. To simply learn their full name, age and address as early as possible is highly beneficial.

“I firmly believe that children can be taught anything if you persevere and repeat something often enough to them.

“I have no doubt there are many people in the country who suffer from an illness or acute condition which could require emergency care. Diabetics, epileptics are just a couple to mention in addition to those who are injured in an accident at home. If, like I was, you were at home with only your young children, you may be relying on them for assistance one day.

“It would be tragic if parents had not considered teaching their children a basic emergency response simply because they considered them too young to understand.”

Jo has now launched a website to tell her story which details how she taught her daughter this crucial information and to encourage other parents to teach their children.

“My main aim is to get the message out there that pre-school children are able to understand. I hope that by visiting my website, other parents will teach their children and in turn this may save a life.

“I have also written a series of children’s books aimed at preschool children. The books follow characters Izzy and Ollie as they deal with various situations and will hopefully help parents to educate their children in an enjoyable way. I’m currently trying to get these books published.”