By Victoria Stone-Meadows
A young woman from Lynbrook has been honoured with a Triple Zero Hero Award for her quick thinking and calm and collected action that helped save her father.
Paige Weidemann was just 12 years old when she called an ambulance for her father who was suffering from chest pains and shortness of breath.
“I remember my sister and I were on the couch watching a movie when Dad came in and said he was feeling a bit weird,” she said.
“We waited for a little while to see if it would pass, but a bit later he asked us to call an ambulance.”
“That’s when his hands started curling in and he was having trouble breathing.”
It was Paige’s younger sister Skyla that first picked up the phone, but it was Paige’s composure that saw her take the phone and call emergency services.
“Skyla was really panicking and scared, and she forgot the number a little bit, so dad said ‘give the phone to Paige’ and I panicked even more,” she said.
Despite the high pressure situation, young Paige was able to speak calmly and clearly to the phone operator and quickly organised help for her dad.
“Once the ambulance arrived, I was relieved,” Paige said.
“Skyla was scared and went into the hall and told the paramedics what happened, so I went into the hall to check on Skyla so that the paramedics could put the monitors on dad’s chest.”
Paige’s mum Jane Weidemann was working the night this happened, and said the way her daughter acted made her very proud.
“It was pot luck I checked my phone at work and noticed the missed call,” Mrs Weidemann said.
“I thought it was awfully late, so rang the house and Paige answered the phone and said the paramedics were there.”
“It made me so proud of her; how she handled it. It was difficult listening back to the recording of the call and it brought tears to my eyes.”
Paige said she was really grateful she had been taught how to call triple-zero and what to do in an emergency, but said she would be happy to not have any more emergencies soon.
“My school had told me how to respond to an emergency and call an ambulance, but once I actually had the chance to do it I was very scared,” she said.
Paige was one of 51 children to receive awards for their quick thinking and responsible actions at the ESTA Triple Zero Hero Awards announced on Tuesday 30 May.
