Learning through story saves mother's life

Thanks to the BBC's colourful hit show for children, The Tweenies, a girl knew how to dial 999 to save her suffering mum.

When Joanne Keeling collapsed from a disastrously strong allergic reaction, she was torn between struggling to reach her medicine or crawling for the phone.

But daughter Isabelle had listened carefully to a Tweenies tale about dialling for the emergency services, and knew exactly the right number to call.

She also understood to give the address of the house, request the appropriate service, and provide a description of how poorly her mum had become - all to her mum's astonished, but ultimately hugely grateful, ears.

Isabelle's potentially life-saving actions say a great deal for the importance of storytelling to convey vital information about day-to-day life. The 2-year-old had originally engaged with the story purely for entertainment - but as she had got more immersed in the tale, so her mind had a greater recollection of the details.

All of which leads to a much greater real-life story, in which Isabelle is a toddler hero.

For the BBC's own news report, click here.

2009-07-15