PCSO saved toddler's life

1:41pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

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A 21-YEAR-OLD woman has been praised after saving the life of a 13-month-old girl while on holiday in Cyprus.

Jamie Foreman, who lives in Dartford, was celebrating a birthday party when Turkish Cypriot toddler Melissa Karakurt stopped breathing after her throat became blocked by a piece of melon.

Miss Foreman, who is a PCSO based in Bromley Road, Catford, said: "I hadn't seen Melissa for about 10 minutes when her mum came back crying holding her under her arms. The father then started shouting loudly in Turkish.

"People were hitting her on her back and I said to everyone I didn't think she could breathe. Time was running out because she was going grey."

At the time of the incident, Miss Foreman was celebrating Terence Bull's 56th birthday while on holiday. Mr Bull is the father of Miss Foreman's boyfriend, Daniel.

Terence, who is from Pinks Hill in Swanley, said: "Everyone was panicking. She was being passed around like a parcel. My mum took the baby and handed her to Jamie. By that time she was flopping like a rag doll."

The 56-year-old from Pinks Hill in Swanley also said the youngster was unconscious for around two minutes.

Miss Foreman added: "I performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on her. On the fourth time I did it the food came up and she took a massive breath."

She also said that she learned her life-saving skills during her training to become a PCSO.

The celebration was taking place on the evening of July 5 at Mr Bull's parent's house, Maureen and George, who live in Alcancak in Cyprus.

Among the people at the party were Melissa's parents, mum, Sultan and dad, Erhan, and also Jamie's boyfriend, Daniel, and her parents, Sharon and Peter.

The PCSO added: "I was very shocked and scared. I still can't really believe it, I don't feel like I saved her life. I just did what I was trained to do, what I was paid for."

Melissa was taken to a nearby hospital and was sent home a few hours later.