Emergency services call handler reveals she was inspired to become a paramedic after her nurse mother died when she was 12 – ahead of dramatic new series Ambulance
- Laura Pilling works as a 999 call handler for North West Ambulance Service
- She revealed she is going to train as a paramedic and was inspired by her mum
- Mother was nurse and died when Laura, who is in BBC series Ambulance, was 12
A 999 call handler has revealed she was inspired to become a paramedic after her mother died when she was just 12 years old.
Laura Pilling, who works for North West Ambulance Service, appeared on This Morning today ahead of BBC series Ambulance starting again tonight.
The mother-of-two appears in the hit show as an emergency services phone operator and is seen dealing with a difficult call where she helps someone perform mouth-to-mouth.
She also revealed how she is now planning on going to university to train as a paramedic, something which she has wanted to do since losing her mother.
Emergency call handler Laura Pilling, pictured, revealed she is going to train as a paramedic, having been inspired to help others after her mother died when she was 12
Laura, left, appears on the new series of Ambulance on BBC1 and is seen getting emotional during a difficult call where she has to instruct someone on how to do mouth-to-mouth
Laura said: ‘Me and my sister lost our mum when I was 12, it was a very traumatic experience. She had an external haemorrhage in front of us and passed away.
‘After going through that at a young age and knowing the relief when paramedics came, I now want to go into someone’s home and help them.’
Laura, who has two young children, explained: ‘My mum was a nurse and would come home and say she’d done something that made a difference.
‘When she passed away I wanted to do something to help, too. I was determined and never gave up and now I will start a three-year paramedic degree in September.’
Another member of staff, right, has to step in and support Laura, left, during the high pressure call on Ambulance, which airs tonight
This Morning hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford asked Laura if the call she was seen taking during Ambulance took her back to when her mother died and if the job affects her.
In a clip from the BBC One show, which airs tonight, Laura is seen with her headset on instructing a caller on how to do first aid.
As she helps the person on the other end of the phone to count between breaths during mouth-to-mouth, Laura becomes emotional and starts to cry.
Another 999 call handler is seen coming over to her desk to support Laura until paramedics arrive at the scene.
Eamonn and Ruth, left, asked Laura, right, if she was affected by her job and the call handler said she ‘wouldn’t be human’ if she didn’t take what she heard home with her every day
The mother-of-two, pictured, said she ‘was determined and never gave up’ and will now start a three-year university course to train as a paramedic
Laura admitted: ‘You’ve just got to keep going and give the advice that you can.
‘When you become a 999 call handler you get six weeks training where you learn the procedures and then you sit with a mentor to help on calls, but then you’re flying solo.
‘It can be hard to separate yourself from work, but we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t go home and think about what we heard.’
During Laura’s appearance on This Morning, Eamonn revealed how, according to the NHS, one third of paramedics have experienced violence in the past year.
The Belfast-born presenter also slammed ‘eegits’ who complain about parked ambulances and having to go slightly out of their way when someone’s life might be on the line.
Ruth also revealed that she once saw a friend have a heart attack, and had ‘never been more relieved to see two people in green’ when the paramedics arrived.