When Jasmine found herself in the throes of a potentially fatal allergic reaction, she was aware that her two-year-old daughter Esme was also right there in the house. Jasmine had taken some prescription medication for an ear infection but never expected to react the way she did.
Had it not have been for Esme’s quick thinking – even if she was only two years old- this story could have ended up as a tragedy and not one of remarkable bravery in the face of some serious adversity.
Featured Photo Credit: Jazzie Pounsberry / Facebook
Feeling Poorly
Jasmine had been feeling poorly for a while. When she finally found time to go and visit the doctor she was diagnosed with an ear infection and given some medication to take which included codeine. She had never taken codeine before and had no idea that she was allergic to it.
Allergic Reaction
Soon after she took the new pills to ease her pain and deal with her ear infection, Jasmine, 24, began to feel dizzy and thought she might faint. When she did, she hit her head hard on the stone floor, and poor Esme was there to witness the whole thing. Such a situation would be challenging for any child, but Esme isn’t just any child.
Helping Mom
Esme’s first port of call was to approach her mother, who was unconscious at the time and talk to her. When she realized that something was really wrong this brave and quick-thinking two-year-old reached for her mom’s mobile phone which was on a unit in the kitchen. She then needed to unlock it.
Smart Kid
At the age of just two, Esme was not only able to unlock her mother’s iPhone but even managed to open the Facetime function on the device. She called her mom’s best friend, Jess Decent, telling her, “mummy was sleeping and hurt her head,” she said according to a Daily Mail report.
Beautiful Innocence
Decent immediately called 911 and an ambulance was dispatched to the house immediately. When paramedics arrived and knocked at the door, little Esme let them in and took them to her mother. She had covered Jasmine with a blanket and directed the medical staff to “make mummy better now.” The cuteness factor was almost too much to bear, but for now, all eyes were on Jasmine.
Knocked Out
As Jasmine explained to reporters after she recovered in hospital: “I collapsed in the hallway and banged the back of my head on the wall, knocking myself out.” She confirmed that the combination of a serious ear infection, migraine and an allergic reaction to codeine had caused her to lose her balance and collapse.
Hearing Esme
As Jasmine explained: “I was unconscious for a while, but I woke up to hearing Esmé on my phone on FaceTime telling my best friend I’m on the floor sleeping,” she said. “I was in no state to move, but thankfully Jess realized pretty quickly that I needed medical help, and was talking Esmé through what she needed to do,” she added.
Be Brave
Jasmine said she could hear her friend on the Facetime call with Esme comforting her and telling her “she needs to be a brave girl and open the door for the ambulance people,” according to Jasmine. That call lasted for seven painstaking minutes until finally, the paramedics arrived.
Stranger Danger
The dire situation got even more tricky when Esme argued with her mother’s friend that she wasn’t allowed to open the door to strangers. The friend explained to her that on this occasion it was acceptable and also necessary and that she had to open the door when the paramedics arrived, which thankfully, she did.
Low Handle
Thankfully, Decent was able to convince Esme to open the door which she was able to do thanks to the door handle being placed purposely low by the family. As Jasmine explained, “Jess had phoned the ambulance while Esmé was checking on me and getting me a blanket.” Thankfully, Esme was able to give access to her home to save her mother’s life.
Little Hero
Jasmine understandably had nothing but praise for Esme, saying, “She’s such a little hero, I still can’t believe it.” As it turned out, when the paramedics arrived, Esme told them, “Mummy fell over and went to sleep, but she hurt her head.” Esme reportedly remained calm throughout the whole ordeal and earned the title of “little hero.”
Helping Out
Jasmine’s fiance, Ryan Hawkins, was contacted by Jess soon after the paramedics arrived. He wanted to help out in any way possible after hearing what his daughter had done. Ryan ruched home from work just in time to find Jasmine being taken on a stretcher and put inside the ambulance.
Needed Help
Despite being knocked out, Jasmine was aware of what was going on and was thankful that her friend Jess answered that call so quickly. “I was in no state to move, but thankfully Jess realized pretty quickly that I needed medical help, and was talking Esmé through what she needed to do,” said Jasmine according to a Yahoo! report.
Very Mature
Jasmine also explained that to her mind, Esme isn’t your average two-year-old. “She was so brave, and I couldn’t believe what she had actually managed to do while I was unconscious,” she said. “She still looks like a baby because she doesn’t have much hair – but she thinks she’s a 14-year-old.”
Also Confident
Jasmine went on to extoll the virtues of little Esme, telling reporters, “She’s always seemed very forward for her age – she’s very bubbly, very loud and very confident. She’s always on my phone, but I didn’t think she knew how to make a phone call on her own.” The fact Jasmine let her daughter play on her phone could have been the very thing that ended up saving her life.
Recovering Well
Soon after Jasmine was admitted to the nearby hospital, she was placed under observation by doctors. They also put her on a strong course of antibiotics to deal with her ear infection and will be sure not to prescribe her codeine again. While Jasmine made a full recovery, Esme was in for more Christmas presents this year than ever before.
Feeling Proud
Esme’s folks couldn’t be prouder of their daughter. “I’m extremely proud of Esmé for all she did and very grateful to her and Jess and the ambulance crew who all helped me that night,” Jasmine said. She also explained why she was happy that she’d let Esme play on her phone when she was home alone and bored.
Under Supervision
While Jasmine explained that she only allowed Esme to use her phone under supervision, she said she had no idea that the little toddler knew how to access and open specific apps by herself. “She does go on my phone most days with my supervision,” Jasmine said. “But I didn’t know she’d know how to use it by herself.”
Spoilt Rotten
For being such a good girl and for saving her mother’s life, Esme is being spoilt rotten at the moment and can’t seem to do anything wrong in her parents’ eyes. “Esme will be spoilt rotten this Christmas and who knows what I’d have done without her,” Jasmine said.
Big Aspirations
As a result of the whole incident, Jasmine explained that all Esme talks about these days is her aspirations to become a doctor one day. “Now she just keeps asking if the doctor’s made me well and she says she wants to be a doctor and keeps trying to put plasters on my head. She keeps checking on me all the time,” explained the proud mother.
