Michelle Barber was responding to her first emergency and using first aid procedures she had only learned a year ago.

She was on patrol in Fargate when she was alerted to the drama involving Kenny-John Higgins in the McDonald's outlet in High Street. "I went inside and saw the mum and member of staff from the store both on their mobile phones to the emergency services," said Michelle, aged 42, of High Green. "The child was gasping for breath and going a strange colour.

"I went over and start going through my first aid procedures, like checking his airways to see if there was anything stopping him being able to breath. All the time I could feel the child growing tired and weak so I kept talking to him and reassuring him.

"Then he stopped breathing. It was scary but I didn't panic. I laid him on his back on a table and started to administer infant CPR and after about three repetitions he came round. I was so relieved."

Robert Higgins, aged 38, of Walkley, who was with his wife Rachel and two older sons, Joshua, nine, and Patrick, four, said: "The situation was really scary and we are very grateful for the quick response of the ambassador and the store staff. They were fantastic and stayed really calm.

"We found out afterwards that what had happened was called a febrile convulsion which is in no way life-threatening but it was still scary."

Kenny-John was detained overnight at Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Michelle was praised by council leader Paul Scriven as she was reunited with the family on Tuesday. Coun Scriven said: "We're extremely proud of Michelle's quick response to a family in distress and the hard work of all our ambassadors."




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