A Bristol nurse has been recognized after saving a child’s life off duty

A mental health nurse says she is “flabbergasted” after being recognized for saving the life of a six-week-old baby while off duty.

Nancy Sagwete, who works for Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) at the Petherton Resource Center in Bristol, received a special police bravery award for her quick thinking.

Mrs Sagwete, who lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, said she used life support training to save her neighbour’s baby, Lily, who was not breathing.

“I’m so grateful that I had the chance to do something great and save a life,” she said.

Ms Sagwete explained that her neighbor knocked on her door one Saturday morning in May 2023.

“As soon as I opened it, she just put this little lifeless baby in my hands. The baby wasn’t breathing, it was blue,” she said.

“My mind raced and I thought only of the basic training I had done during my career as a nurse.

“I started to give lifesaving breaths to the baby and he came back,” Ms Sagwete said.

Lily had been born prematurely and was suffering from a chest infection.

She was taken to the hospital where she stayed for several weeks before making a full recovery.

Ms Sagwete was presented with her award by Hertfordshire Constable Charlie Hall at police headquarters.

She said she was “so delighted and amazed” to be recognized for her actions.

“I shared the news with the rest of the nursing team at work and everyone was coming up to me saying ‘well done!’

“It was a nice feeling and I would urge all nurses not to take the life-saving training we do for granted. You may need to use it at some point in your life,” she said.

“Every time I see baby Lily now, my heart beats and I’m like, ‘I’m the one who did this,'” she added.

Ms Sagwete’s team leader, Barabara Wireko, congratulated her, adding: “She is truly inspirational.

“She works hard to support everyone, especially the service users in her care. We can all agree that she is a pleasure to work with.”