A 10-year-old girl whose quick-thinking saved her mum’s life, a devoted nurse who sacrifices family time to care for patients and a dinner lady who opens her house to those who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day are celebrating after being crowned Local Heroes by The East Lancashire Railway.
As a token of appreciation for their selfless efforts they were invited to enjoy a special visit to the heritage railway’s acclaimed Santa Specials for an unforgettable festive day out on Wednesday 21st December.
The magical event has become an essential part of Christmas for many families in the North West, and this year it has been bigger and better than ever, with visitors enjoying an extended winter wonderland at Bury Bolton Street Station alongside a host of other magical treats.
The Local Heroes were chosen by ELR staff and volunteers after the public were invited to nominate their choices.
Schoolgirl Amelia Potts, from Leigh, was nominated by her Grandma Dawn Garcia.
Amelia saved the life of her mum Becky after she collapsed suddenly at home in Leigh. Aged just nine at the time she remained calm and rang an ambulance. Rebecca, 28, who is a primary school learning support assistant spent two weeks in hospital with sepsis but has since made a full recovery.
She recalls: “It was early in the morning and I was just going into Amelia’s room to wake her up.
“I remember feeling light-headed and then I collapsed. I banged my head on the doorframe and knocked myself out cold.Fortunately Amelia didn’t panic. She calmly rang 999 and explained to them what had happened.
“I’m so pleased for Amelia that she is getting the recognition she deserves. There’s no doubt that I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for her actions.It was an emotional moment for Amelia when discovered that she had been made a Local Hero. She’s a really special girl and deserves it.”
Mark Hayes, 34, was nominated by his partner Georgia Reid. The couple live in St Helens with their two children – Brody, six and four-year-old Aoife. As a mental health nurse at a high security hospital Mark often works fifteen-hour shifts – which severely curtails the time he can spend with his family.
He said: “I’m really stunned. I’m just doing my job, but working long hours means as a family we miss out on certain traditions.
“Everyone that works in the NHS makes sacrifices – especially at this time of the year – but we will all go the extra mile to support colleagues and our service users.”
Dinner lady Donna Taylor-Ford, 38, was inspired to open her house to others on Christmas day – after seeing the plight of many of her father’s friends.
Donna and husband Gary, who have three daughters – Kieralea, 19, Robyn, 15 and eleven-year-old Tilly have been providing a warm welcome for anyone who wants it for the past ten years.
Donna, from Rusholme, explains: “I just can’t bear the thought of anyone being by themselves on Christmas Day.
“It first started when we took my dad down the pub one Christmas Day and we were introduced to two of his pals who didn’t have any family and were just going home to an empty house.
“It’s snowballed from there – some years we have ten extra guests for lunch.”
The visit to the ELR is extra special as Donna admits she struggles to find attractions that are suitable for her daughter Tilly who has autism.
She adds: “We’re not going to tell Tilly and we will let this be a surprise for her. We’re all so delighted to be visiting the ELR.”
Gillian Gilder, from Rochdale, has also been crowned a Local Hero for her tireless lifetime of caring for her 45-year-old son who suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident when he was eleven.
Mike Kelly, Chairman at ELR, comments:
“Discovering such moving the and inspirational stories and achievements of our Local Heroes has been incredibly rewarding and humbling.
“Christmas is a time of giving and our unsung heroes exemplify the very best of unselfish community spirit in the North West and we’re delighted to celebrate and spoil them.
“For generations the ELR has been at the very heart of our the local communities in Bury andwe’re overwhelmed and overjoyed to be able to share part of their Christmas with our Local Heroes.”
