Littlehampton boy uses Facebook craze to thank paramedics for saving his life

When Ieuan Barnard was seven months old, he almost died – but thanks to the swift action of paramedics, he pulled through.

And to repay them, he took part in a social media craze that is going viral worldwide.

Hit The Ambulance entails leaving treats on emergency service vehicles – or for more points, handing it to the officer or paramedic directly.

Ieuan, five, from Hollist Chase, Littlehampton, was encouraged to join in by his mother Lisa and gave over his bag of gifts to paramedics in Goring on February 21.

The 45-year-old childminder said: “These paramedics are a lifeline. I don’t think we realise what we have in our NHS.”

Lisa said after Ieuan was born, he kept getting ill – but the family could not work out what was wrong.

She recalled the incident where she said he almost died: “It was Boxing Day and we were at a family’s house, and they all said he is not breathing right.

“Paramedics were out within six minutes and got him to hospital.”

At the time, doctors said he had pneumonia – but aged one, Ieuan was finally diagnosed with dysphagia. It means he cannot swallow liquids properly, as they go to his lungs rather than his stomach. The only fruit he can eat is banana and he has to have drinks in jelly form.

Lisa said: “I was giving him the bottle, but every time he was drowning.”

Lisa has also got her grandson Noah, two, and daughter Matilda, eight, in on the craze. Noah gave a bag to police officers at the Tesco Extra in Durrington and they let him sit in their vehicle and press the 999 button, which Lisa said he loved.

The Hit The Ambulance Facebook group has more than 32,000 members and says its aim ‘is to bring a smile to our hard working emergency services and have a little fun while doing so’.

Lisa added: “They are the difference between life and death.”