"Izabella saved my life without a shadow of a doubt," Patrice Morehu said.

"By the time the paramedics got there I was so sick I was almost going into a heart attack.

"The doctor said if help hadn't arrived, I would have comatosed and gone into cardiac arrest."

Ms Morehu, who has type 1 diabetes, said the combination of an infection and dehydration after a series of burning-hot days led to the dramatic developments in January this year.

"I managed to go to the doctor and get antibiotics but I got increasingly worse and developed laryngitis and couldn't speak.

"With that, combined with the dehydration, I was absolutely in a world of trouble. My diabetes was out of control and I was too sick to do anything about it."

A huge drop in blood sugar caused her to faint every time she struggled to get out of bed and phone for help.

"Izabella knows the difference between 'standard sick' and 'diabetes sick'.

''I came to and heard her on the phone telling the call-taker that I couldn't stay awake."

Tears welled as Ms Morehu told how proud she was of her daughter.

"Ever since she was little, my former husband and I taught her about triple-0 as it's important to know that from an early age when someone in the family has a chronic disease."

Izabella was "proud as punch" at the well-deserved presentation. "She said 'I feel like a grown-up'."