A 16-year old young carer who saved his mother’s life with CPR is set to be honoured by the Princess Royal.
Dylan Murphy, a cadet at St John Ambulance from Westbury, Wiltshire, was in his bedroom in August, when his mother Trudi, 56, collapsed downstairs after a mix-up with her medication.
Dylan, who is her registered carer as she has several autoimmune conditions – including multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, discovered his mother unconscious and face down on the floor.
Having only started his training in April, he knew to turn his mother over, called 999 and began performing CPR.
The ambulance crew who arrived to take over told Ms Murphy that Dylan, who was 15 at the time, had saved her life.
Dylan with his mother Trudi (Trudi Murphy/PA)
On Wednesday, Dylan will be honoured along with other young lifesavers at the St John Ambulance’s annual Young Achievers awards, which will be attended by Anne.
“I was upstairs in my room and heard the stairlift beeping, it only beeps if someone has knocked it,” Dylan told the PA news agency.
“I went downstairs to find out what was going on and I found her (his mother) flat down on the floor.
“I checked if she was okay and turned her over but realised she was unconscious.
“I took her phone and rang 999, and they told me to check her breathing and start doing CPR.
“I can’t explain how scared I was and how stressful it was knowing that I might not ever be able to see or speak to my mum again.
“It was truly the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced, and without St John I would have no clue what I was doing.”
Dylan, who is homeschooled due to having a rare condition called mastocytosis – which causes an increased risk of developing a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction, says his weekly training at St John Ambulance has also helped him to make new friends.
He added: “I believe without St John, my mum wouldn’t be here anymore.
“They gave me the confidence to act in the face of danger.
“I don’t know what I would have done without them, they helped me save my mum and also gain friends.”
Trudi Murphy said she and her son have always had a close relationship (Trudi Murphy/PA)
“Once I realised what Dylan had done, I just remember bursting into tears and crying like mad,” Ms Murphy told PA.
“I’ve always been a single parent with him, which is why our relationship is so close.
“I inject him with his epipens and he saved my life.”
The event, in Clerkenwell in London, will celebrate outstanding contributions by St John Ambulance Badgers (aged five to 10) and Cadets (aged 11-17), as well as young carers.
The charity has more than 9,000 young volunteers who have collectively already given 45,500 hours of service in 2024.