Chelsea Steinhauser has only lost consciousness twice while experiencing the diabetic condition hypoglycaemia, and both times her son was with her.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The difference last week was Tom saved her life.
The 10-year-old was in the passenger seat on December 7 when the pair were driving from their home in Staghorn Flat to a chiropractor appointment in Lavington.
"We were driving out and she was a bit faded," Tom said.
"She didn't really want to talk to me, I realised she was having a bit of a hypo.
"Then I rang Dad and he told me there was some sugary drink on the floor, so I got that and I started trying to put it into mum's mouth.
"She didn't really want to swallow it.
"Eventually I told her to pull over and she did. By this stage, she was about unconscious.
"I put the car in park."
Tom took the keys from the ignition and put the handbrake on, and Peter started a three-way call with triple zero as Tom figured out where they were on Google Maps.
NSW paramedics Paula Mitchell and Tim Scott-Young found them on Logan Road minutes later.
Ms Mitchell said Mrs Steinhauser was "completely unconscious".
"I remember opening up the door and Tom said 'Hello, my mum's a diabetic' and I was like 'OK', I knew straight away what was going on," she said.
"We checked her sugars and they read low, so we started our treatment plan from there.
"The whole time, Tom was sitting in the back seat and was so calm and collected.
"I was honestly amazed."
Mrs Steinhauser was taken to hospital and had a quick recovery - today, she and Tom visited the NSW Ambulance station in Lavington.
"They do an amazing job and I'm truly thankful," she said.
"Tom has helped me in the past with hypos; he's quite in tune with it now.
"He'll quite often say to me at home, 'Do you need to do a blood test Mum?'
"I was incredibly proud he was able to put the handbrake on and tried giving me a sugary drink.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"I honestly would hate to think what could have possibly happened if he wasn't with me in the car."
Mrs Steinhauser was diagnosed with type-one diabetes at 11 and the only other time she became unconscious was when she was pregnant with Tom.
"I remember feeling very confused in the car," she said.
"He told me he was saying 'Mum, you need to pull over', but I don't really remember that.
"I obviously pulled over and after that was a blur.
"The next thing I knew, Paula was standing to the right of me, I was freezing cold because you sweat profusely when you have a big hypo like that, and I looked down and had a cannula in my arm.
"I've never experienced anything like that in the past, it was very scary, more so for Tom than myself.
"He really came up with the goods and helped me out in a way I could never repay him for."
Ms Mitchell applauded Tom and his parents for their awareness of the condition.
"If you've got a known medical issue, it's quite helpful for your kids to know what they can do if the event arises," she said.