The Prince of giggles: How William made balloon animal out of a surgical glove to cheer up toddler being treated in the back of his air ambulance for nut allergy

  • Duke of Cambridge landed his aircraft at Hertfordshire school after 999 call 
  • Lewis Swyers was struggling to breathe after eating snack from a friend
  • Wills was unable to leave his cockpit so made a balloon animal for the boy
  • Lewis, three, now idolises the Prince and is in love with his new toy 

By Anthony Joseph for MailOnline

Published: 07:07 EST, 10 March 2016 | Updated: 09:06 EST, 10 March 2016

Prince William put a smile back on the face of a toddler, who had suffered a potentially fatal reaction from eating a peanut, by making a balloon animal in the back of his air ambulance.

The Duke of Cambridge landed his aircraft at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, after a 999 call was made by staff.

Lewis Swyers, three, was struggling to breathe after eating a snack which was given to him by a friend at nursery.

Prince William was unable to leave the cockpit of the helicopter, so decided to make a balloon animal from a blue surgical glove and used a marker pen to draw a face on it.

Lewis Swyers, three, was struggling to breathe after eating a snack which was given to him by a friend at nursery

Lewis Swyers, three, was struggling to breathe after eating a snack which was given to him by a friend at nursery

Prince William was unable to leave the cockpit of the helicopter, so decided to make a balloon animal from a blue surgical glove and used a marker pen to draw a face on it

Prince William was unable to leave the cockpit of the helicopter, so decided to make a balloon animal from a blue surgical glove and used a marker pen to draw a face on it

His kind actions touched the hearts of his parents Donna and Dean Swyers, from Little Dunmow, Essex, who said their son now idolises the Prince.

Mrs Swyers, 49, said: 'We thought it was a really touching thing for Prince William to do as it really took his mind off everything that was going on.

'He works really hard and went beyond the call of duty to put Luke at ease. Luke wouldn't let go of the balloon glove, even taking it to bed with him.

'When it was time for him to go back to school he asked me to put it in the boot of the car because he was scared it might fly away.

'Luke is only a couple of months older than Prince George as well which I think he quite likes.

'He keeps making us google Prince William to show him pictures and even since then he has idolised him.'

Panic struck after Luke, from Little Dunmow, Essex, suffered what his family now know was an allergic reaction while being collected by his grandmother after school.

Mr Swyers, a lettings manager, who is also mum to Olivia, six, and Joseph, three - Luke's identical twin - said: 'He was with his friends in the playground after school and one of them was handing out what we thought was a yoghurt-covered raisin.

'But then he started indicating he couldn't breathe properly and his lips turned blue.

'My mum, who is trained in first-aid, turned him upside down and hit him on the back to try and move the obstruction.

'Luckily someone had called the air ambulance and it came to land within minutes.

'It was a relief to know he was in safe hands.'

Luke while in hospital
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, with his son Prince George

Luke (pictured left in hospital is only a couple of months older than Prince George (pictured right, with Wills)

Luke was also given a teddy bear by hospital staff, which he has called William - which also happens to be his middle name

Luke was also given a teddy bear by hospital staff, which he has called William - which also happens to be his middle name

The East Anglian Air Ambulance was dispatched from Cambridge Airport with Prince William at the controls and Dr Akos Soti and critical care paramedic Tim Daniels on board on February 8.

The Anglia II chopper took around 20 minutes to reach the school before Luke was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, by East of England Ambulance Service.

As doctors worked to treat little Luke, he was passed the inflated surgical glove from inside the aircraft, which had two of its fingers tied as ears and felt-tip eyes and mouth.

Luke was also given a teddy bear by hospital staff, which he has called William - which also happens to be his middle name.

After being diagnosed as having a nut allergy, Luke was later discharged from hospital with an epipen, which he must use if he suffers similar symptoms in the future

After being diagnosed as having a nut allergy, Luke was later discharged from hospital with an epipen, which he must use if he suffers similar symptoms in the future

Prince William put a smile back on the face of a toddler, who had suffered a potentially fatal reaction from eating a peanut, by making a balloon animal in the back of his air ambulance. Pictured is Luke with his new toy

Prince William put a smile back on the face of a toddler, who had suffered a potentially fatal reaction from eating a peanut, by making a balloon animal in the back of his air ambulance. Pictured is Luke with his new toy

After being diagnosed as having a nut allergy, Luke was later discharged from hospital with an epipen, which he must use if he suffers similar symptoms in the future.

Mrs Swyers added: 'We thought it must have been something in the yoghurt but we were later told it was a nut allergy.

'It was scary to not know about it and really if things hadn't worked out how they did, it could have been so much worse.

'Now we know, we can do everything we can to handle it.

'All the staff who helped to look after Luke were brilliant. Everyone at the hospital, the doctors on the ambulance and Prince William himself - I want to say thank you.' 

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