Special award for brave Seb

Above: Sebastian White receiving his bravery award with mum Renee and paramedics Ainsley Joker, left, and Stacey Heath, right.

Sebastian White’s calm and life-saving composure was saluted today when North Lakes Paramedics gave him with a Queensland Ambulance Service Bravery Award.

It recognised the eight-year-old’s remarkable response when he was woken one morning by his mum Renee having a seizure.

Despite only once going through an emergency plan, Sebastian didn’t panic. He called triple zero and followed each step of the plan to help save his mum. 

Paramedics Ainsley Jonker and Stacey Heath were so impressed they recommended the youngster for an award - and presented it at North Lakes Ambulance Station.

In fact, they received so much information before arriving at Renee and Sebastian’s home in Keperra, the paramedics thought it came from an adult.

Ainsley said: “Sebastian was very brave and what he did made our job easier”. Stacey added: “If ever there is a worthy recipient of this award it is Sebastian.”

Mum Renee Norton said she is “very proud” of her son.

“I can’t really say what might have happened (if Seb had not acted so promptly),” she said. "But he did everything he could to save my life.”

Renee first suffered seizures in her sleep during 2021. They then stopped but returned in April last year. There are no triggers or warning signs.

“I had spoken to Sebastian about what to do if I were to have a seizure,” Renee said, “how to get into my emergency contact, call triple zero, contact my mum who lives downstairs.

“He’s very calm, very clever and does listen a lot. I knew telling him (the action plan) once or twice he would retain that information.”

When suddenly faced with that exact emergency, Sebastian said he “wasn’t worried”.

“I knew what to do,” he said. “Call triple zero, stamp on the floor so grandma can hear me (and come up) and I yelled out. I timed the seizures as well.

“I told the ambulance crew how many seconds and minutes between seizures and mum only has seizures in her sleep.”

Paramedic Stacey said: “I’ve talked to a lot of adults on the phone who have witnessed someone having a seizure and they didn’t sound as calm as Sebastian.

“We didn’t have to ask him anything. He gave us the information we needed at that time.

“… how long the seizure went for, what they looked like, how he knew she was having a seizure, what happened during the seizure, there was blood coming out of her (Renee) mouth.”

Colleague Ainsley said they arrived not knowing it was a “child caller or a child on the scene”.

“I have not been to many jobs where children know what to do in an emergency. Sebastian was so calm, he wasn’t flustered, just waiting out the front for us to arrive,” she said.

Emergency Medical Dispatcher Holly Hamer said: “As a call taker, everything Renee and Sebastian have done is what we recommend.

“… Sebastian knowing his address, knowing the phone number, ringing triple zero immediately in an emergency, having a door unlocked for the ambulance crew.

“Having the Emergency+ (Plus) app on a phone also really helps us.”

Sebastian has since called triple zero a second time to help Renee.

To others in a similar position Renee said: “Let people know and put a plan in place like Sebastian and I have. 

"If anything happens, go through those steps. Don’t be ashamed of what is going on because you really cannot help it.”