999 Emergency… Save My Baby!

Hysterical, I saw my Josh laid out after a 40ft fall

- Lianne La Borde and Joshua Saunders

With the kids tucked up in bed, I had some washing to fold away.

‘Goodnight,’ I whispered.

It was 9 January last year, and we’d been in our new home nearly a year.

I’d been thrilled when we’d moved into the newly refurbished, second floor maisonette in south east London.

Just me and my three children Aaliyah-Amina, 3, Destiny, 2, and Joshua, 1.

But that night, I couldn’t get Joshua and Aaliyah to sleep.

Minutes after saying goodnight, I found Joshua climbing up onto the windowsill and jumping onto his bed.

Kids!

‘Bedtime – now!’ I yelled, tucking them in again.

Hoping they’d drift off, I made sure the window was closed and went back to my chores.

Moments later, I heard Aaliyah shouting.

‘Mum!’ she shrieked. ‘Josh has fallen out the window!’

Dropping everything, I ran into their room to the window.

It was wide open. And looking down, I saw Joshua…

He’d plunged four storeys – 40ft – and was lying face down on the doorstep of the house below.

He wasn’t moving, his arms and legs sprawled at odd angles.

‘Joshua!’ I screamed, my stomach twisting in sheer horror.

Surely he couldn’t survive a fall like that.

‘Stay here!’ I cried to the girls, adrenaline pumping through me as I grabbed my phone and sprinted down the stairs.

Head spinning, heart pounding, I dialled 999 as I ran.

‘Help!’ I screeched down the phone. ‘My son’s fallen out of the window!’

I couldn’t get through the door of the first-floor block where Josh was lying on concrete in the pouring rain.