"10 June 2010 Dear Madam/Sir: ..."

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10 June 2010

Dear Madam/Sir:

We want to say THANK YOU to both the 999 Emergency Service and Ambulance Service for the high level of professional services offered to us on Saturday, May 1 at about 1.05 pm. We contacted 999 at the instructions of the out-of-hour Frimley Primary Care services by texting to emergencySMS, a trial service provided for Deaf and hard of hearing people. An ambulance responded and arrived within five minutes.

We regret that we did not capture names and titles, but checking your records will reveal the "first responders" on that call. Our then seven-month-old son had a great difficulty with breathing, but was ambulatory by the time the Hampshire's finest arrived. The crew took him in and immediately communicated reassuring words, yet handled him in a serious, professional and caring manner; we will long remember the smiles and the brief explanations of what they were doing at each step.

The attending technician took the mother while our son was taken and handed over to the A&E staff at Frimley Park Hospital. The father stayed behind at home with our two-year-old daughter.

Furthermore, we want to say THANK YOU to the A&E team at Frimley Park Hospital for their assistance with our son. They are meticulous to their professional job of saving lives. When the team realised that the mother is Deaf, they got very patient and attentive. This is something that we do not see in everyday lives.

We also want to say THANK YOU to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Southampton General Hospital to where our son was transferred during the evening of the same date. We could not express in words how amazing and dedicated the staff members were. They are one in a million. It was simply a horrific experience for us to see our son in tubes and needles and to witness other babies in need. Because of the kindness and assurance portrayed by the members, we felt safe th