Three-year-old girl saves mother’s life in Burgess Hill after bonfire triggered an asthma attack

Kayleigh Robus was playing in the garden of their Burgess Hill with her daughter Imogen when she began to smell smoke.

The 29-year-old, who suffers from asthma, soon realised that their next door neighbour’s bonfire was causing her severe breathing difficulties.

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“Straight away I felt my chest tighten,” she said. "I rushed inside the house and took puffs on my inhaler which helped at first, but it wasn’t enough, and I was struggling to breathe.

"I couldn’t breathe in or out, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t do anything. It was horrific.”

To her amazement, three-year-old Imogen dialled 999 and directed an ambulance to their Burgess Hill home.

“Imogen called 999 and told an ambulance where we lived and I was rushed to hospital, where doctors gave me a nebuliser and steroids to save my life.”

Kayleigh Robus (left) with daughter Imogen, aged three

Kayleigh, a community carer, was hospitalised for five days.

"It was such a terrifying experience and if it hadn’t been for Imogen, I would have died,” she added.

“The smoke from bonfires can be a very serious health risk for people like me which is why I am urging anyone with asthma to be extra careful over the next week, and to make sure everyone in their family, however young, knows exactly what to do in the event of an asthma attack.”

According to charity Asthma UK, around three million people in the UK with the breathing condition could find smoke from bonfires or fireworks triggers for their symptoms.

Smoke particles irritate the airways, causing them to become inflamed and tighten, resulting in coughing and wheezing and making it very difficult for people to breathe.

An estimated three people die from an asthma attack every day, according to the charity.

Asthma UK says the number of hospitalisations around Bonfire Night are likely to be due to the result of cold weather, cold and flu and air pollution, such as smoke caused by fires and fireworks.

Kayleigh Robus with daughter Imogen

Jessica Kirby, head of health advice at Asthma UK, said: “Fireworks and bonfire displays might look pretty but if you have asthma triggered by smoke, they could land you in hospital.

“While many people will be looking forward to watching firework displays, the increased levels of smoke in the air can trigger asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath or even an asthma attack.

“The good news is if people follow our top tips such as taking their preventer inhaler (usually brown) as prescribed, keeping their reliever inhaler (usually blue) with them and making sure their family and friends know what to do if they have an asthma attack, they shouldn’t have to miss out on festivities.”