AN ‘angel’ care home nurse who sprang into action when a ‘blue and lifeless’ two-year-old required urgent medical assistance has been hailed as a lifesaver.
Lainey Roberts has suffered with seizures in the past but on March 28, whilst with her grandma Catherine, she suffered a serious medical episode.
Catherine rushed Lainey across to Holly Tree Lodge, on Sceptone Grove, Shafton, as she knew someone would be able to help her stricken granddaughter who was described as ‘lifeless’ after stopping breathing.
Her mum, 33-year-old Emmy Roberts, told the Chronicle that if it wasn’t for her ‘saviour’, 60-year-old nurse Desiree Peters, Lainey could have died.
Emmy said: “She suffers with a lot of seizures but these past few she’s stopped breathing.
“This particular day I was at work up the road, she was with my mum and she’d turned blue.
“Our best bet was to go straight over to Holly Tree Lodge and hope someone was there that could get her breathing again.
“She saved her life - if it wasn’t for Desiree I don’t know what would have happened.
“She’s only young but we were so lucky Desiree was there to help.
“She’s a gift from God.”
Desiree, who has been working at the care home for the last three years, said she had never worked with children before.
“I’m an adult nurse who did my training more than 20 years ago,” she said.
“I only did training for two weeks on the children’s ward whilst I was in South America.
“I’ve never worked with children so this was my first experience.
“I was a bit nervous but I couldn’t show it because her grandma was relying on me.
“I feel very good about it.”
Her instinct took over and she was able to save Lainey’s life before an ambulance arrived.
“She was placed in my hands but she was lifeless,” she added.
“I just collected her and my instinct was telling me what to do.
“I put her on my lap, put her head to the side to make sure her airways were clear.
“I was rubbing her back and after five minutes I remember calling for another colleague to check her oxygen.
“She then started to make groaning sounds - she started to breathe and started crying.
“It lasted around ten minutes - she was lifeless, gasping.
“When she started crying I knew that there was life there.
“I’m just glad she’s okay now.”
Lainey spent the next day in hospital before being discharged, and Emmy said it took her just under a week until she was back to her normal self.
Emmy, Lainey and Desiree were reunited at the care home yesterday - much to the delight of the trio.
“I came down the other day but Desiree wasn’t here,” she said.
“It’s really nice to see her again - she’s literally like a God to us.
“We’re so lucky Desiree was here.
“We are so grateful - she’s our saviour, our angel sent to help her to breathe again.”
