Connie and Caleb Bligh look after each other now after a health scare five years ago. Caleb was only four when he pedalled for help after his mum collapsed unconscious at their Cardinia home.By Sarah Schwager
CALEB Bligh was only four years old when he pedalled for help for his mum Connie who had collapsed unconscious at their Cardinia home.
When Connie regained consciousness, Caleb was standing by her with two neighbours, Dianne Van der Velde and Sandra Forrester, he had found at the nearby Cardinia general store.
Connie was rushed to Dandenong Hospital after doctors diagnosed a cyst in her stomach had burst, causing her to collapse.
Coincidentally, Connie’s sister Kim Bligh also suffered the same problem just a couple of weeks ago, leading them to believe that it may be a genetic health problem.
While Connie said even though she would have recovered if Caleb had not gone for help, she was extremely proud of her son for his quick thinking in an emergency.
“I would’ve been okay, but Caleb was one step ahead,” she said.
“I’d always told him to go to the lady across the road. When she wasn’t there he rode up the street because he knew someone would be there.”
Connie and Caleb now live in Cranbourne North with Connie’s other three sons, Brady, 7, Kobe, 3, and Bailey, 15 months, and her partner, Jason.
Connie has worked as a caterer at St John of God Berwick Hospital for the past 13 years.
Caleb, 9, is a grade three student at Rangebank Primary School in Cranbourne, and is very sporty, playing football, cricket and netball.
Connie said Caleb was doing well at school, with a recent AIMS test putting him at a grade five level, despite having missed a fair amount of school.
Caleb suffered from pneumonia in July and as a side effect retained fluid on his hips, which left him unable to walk.
“If he gets a cold he could get pneumonia again,” Connie said.
“He loves his sport. When he was sick he didn’t tell anyone because he didn’t want to miss out on playing footy.”
But Caleb said he was doing well now and playing lots of sport.
Connie said her other sons all knew what to do in an emergency situation and she even had to hide the mobile from Kobe to stop him dialling 000.
