A MOTHER has told how administering roadside first aid to an injured schoolboy led to the discovery of her own medical problem The boy, an 11-year-old Wey Valley School and Sports College pupil, was knocked over by a white van shortly after getting off the school bus on Dorchester Road.

Jackie Isbell, 44, supported his head and talked to him, until the emergency services arrived.

And the mother-of-two, of Westham, had to be taken to hospital herself shortly after the accident, as she was suffering from an angina attack.

Mrs Isbell said: “Apparently it’s something I’ve had a while, but I didn’t know.”

The injured boy was airlifted to Dorset County Hospital with head injuries and later transferred to Southampton General Hospital.

Sergeant Joe Pardey of Dorset Police said at the time that the boy had run out behind the bus, into the road, where he was hit by the white van.

Mrs Isbell, who was on the bus with her daughters Olivia Louise, 11, and Keara, eight, said: “I saw what happened. I will never forget it.

“I grabbed the girls and jumped off the bus, telling them to stay put, out of the way.”

She added: “The driver of the van was cradling the boy’s head by the time I got there, and I lifted it up, like I have been taught to do, and started talking to him in a calm voice.”

The boy was unconscious at the time, but Mrs Isbell, who has completed St John and Red Cross first aid courses, believes a calming tone can still help someone who has been in an accident.

She said: “When the paramedics arrived I continued to support his head while they got the neck brace on.

“It was bit awkward, as he still had his backpack on.”

The paramedics spoke to the boy, who was struggling to regain consciousness.

Mrs Isbell said: “He was a bit irritable, so I carried on talking to him, and that seemed to help.”

After the boy had been taken to hospital, Mrs Isbell believed the ordeal was over.

She added: “I had a pain in my chest and arms, but I thought it was down to the shock.

“I was taken to hospital, where they diagnosed angina.”

Mrs Isbell believes if she had not helped at the scene, she would not have known about her condition.

“I have had pains before, when I’ve been walking my daughter’s pony, but I just put it down to the way I was standing.”

The boy’s mother has thanked Mrs Isbell privately for her intervention.

His injuries are no longer life threatening, and he is receiving treatment in Southampton General Hospital for a fractured pelvis.

Mrs Isbell said: “I’m glad I was able to help.

“I’ve come across accidents before with older people, but never a young boy, and it really sticks with you.

“I just wish him a speedy recovery.”

Vital skills

A spokesperson for St John Ambulance said: “It’s great that Jackie had the skills and confidence to deal with this situation.

“Holding someone’s head still is important where there may be broken bones, or especially spinal damage.

“First aid is about saving lives, but it’s also important to try to minimise the damage after the accident. We teach the skills to be a difference between a life lost and a life saved.

“Reassuring someone by talking to them is something you don’t even have to be trained to do, but it can really help, especially children.”

For details about courses, call Grant Wilson on 01305 751157 or visit www.sja.org.uk/training