AT the tender age of seven, Sami Mistry has saved his mother's life not just once but on numerous occasions.
The primary school pupil has developed a sixth sense about mum Rebecca, who has suffered from chronic Type One diabetes since she was a little girl.
Sami can spot the almost imperceptible signs that she's going into a hypo – a potentially deadly lowering of blood sugar levels – and springs into action to fetch her a juice drink to give a lifesaving sugar boost.
He can also administer a glucose solution through a feeding tube attached to Rebecca's stomach.
The impressive youngster has even had to regularly phone the emergency services, explain symptoms and talk them through the developing crisis until paramedics arrive.
Rebecca, 32, explains: "He's amazing, he knows exactly what to say.
"He calmly asks for an ambulance, and he'll say 'my mum's Type One diabetic, she has insulin, she's having a hypo and I tried to get her to drink, but she won't and I've put some juice in the tube but she's still not coming round.'
"I remember one of the first times it happened, when Sami was only five.
"He opened the door to the paramedics and they were looking round saying 'where's the lad that we were speaking to on the phone?' They couldn't believe he was so young and he knew all that complicated medical stuff. Sami has taken on so much – more than I ever imagined he'd be able to do. He's my hero."
With his missing front teeth and cheeky grin, Sami is just like any other boy his age.
But when a crisis hits, he turns into a true professional.
The youngster, whose family live in Rushcliffe Borough, finds it difficult to explain how he knows his mum is about to have an attack.
"It's not really like fainting," he says. "She goes into her own little world, like she's flying into space in her imagination and stuff. I know from the way mum's acting and speaking.
"Like last night, my little brother Luca was being a little bit naughty and mummy gets stressed out and that's how it starts sometimes."
Rebecca had to quit her job as a probation officer in 2010 when her condition deteriorated badly. She was on dialysis and had a kidney transplant shortly afterwards.
At its worst, she could be having two hypos a day, but after switching to a new insulin pump system she's hoping to get the attacks under control.
At present, they're down to three or four times a week, but Rebecca has to monitor her blood glucose every half hour – a reading of below four being the trigger for a hypo.
She adds: "The worst that could happen is I could fall into a coma and if I didn't get help and didn't come round, that could be it – I could die."
Alarmingly, Rebecca sometimes doesn't even know she is having a hypo – and has to rely on Sami or her husband to spot the subtle clues.
"Sometimes it happens too quickly for me to register," she says. "But Sami seems to know. Last night he knew I was having one and I didn't at all. He noticed because my hand jerked ever so slightly.
"He immediately knew and went off and got me a juice. He can walk into a room and tell immediately. I don't know how he does it – sometimes he says it's my eyes. Other times, I just don't know – it's instinct."
Sami is even training younger brother Luca, five, to spot the signs and come to mum's aid.
Being able to administer juice via a feeding tube has also proved invaluable as often Rebecca is unable to drink from a straw. "Sami has done that a couple of times," she says proudly. "It's been a lifesaver."
Rebecca is also convinced that there is something about Sami's voice which helps her come round from an attack more quickly.
"He knows if he talks to me, I focus on him," she explains. "Sometimes when my husband helps me, it's much harder for me to come round but if I hear Sami's voice, it really helps."
Rebecca fully supports plans by Notts County Council to give young carers like Sami more support.
"I don't like Sami having to do all this for me," Rebecca admits. "No parent would want to put that burden on a child. But this is how it is and I've got to accept it.
"It's a taboo subject. People don't want to think that children have to do things like this for an adult.
"They need to be given more credit. These children will grow into teenagers and it could go one way or the other for them – it could ruin their life or make it for them."
Sami has had regular support from the county's young carers service since he was five, including outings with other children and one to one counselling sessions in school.
The family are now hoping he'll be able to get additional first aid training.
Rebecca explains: "He takes it all in his stride, but it is scary for him. There have been hypos when he's been very distressed afterwards.
"At the time, he's really calm and collected, but it hits him quite hard afterwards.
"He sometimes has to sleep in our room and he won't go to sleep until he knows I'm okay.
"He's so good at everything, but you've still got to remember he's a child and sometimes he just needs his mum."
