Mom suffered a fall outdoors and passed out after coming home—9-yer-old son's life-changing decision changed their lives
Children need to be alert and aware of how to respond during emergency situations. The most important thing parents need to teach kids is how to use emergency services and helplines, should something go wrong. A 9-year-old named Oakley was fortunately aware of the simple procedure and was able to save his mother, Emma, after an accident, BBC News reported. The boy was caught off guard to see his mom collapse after coming home. With no one to help him in that moment, he knew he had to act on his own. His smart action ensured life-saving help and avoided further mishaps.
According to WFMYNews2, it is not uncommon for children to call the emergency services. Jeri Phillips, Guilford Metro 911 Training Specialist, revealed that they receive calls from children every single day. "What color is your house? What street do you live on? Are there any toys outside? What color is the car? I've had calls where I've had the child flip the light switch on and off for the front porch to help responders find them. So there are lots of things, we're very creative when it comes to children,” said Phillips. While they are trained to get creative to interact with children and retrieve information, kids must know whom to call and what to say.
The mother-son duo was playing outside with their dog. All of a sudden, a car scared the canine, which caused him to run helter-skelter. Unfortunately, he ran right into Emma’s feet, causing her to trip and fall. The mom broke her wrist when she fell and the situation was chaotic. Oakley was by himself and had to figure out a solution quickly. He exercised astute action and helped his mom and dog get inside the house. Emma cautioned her son that she felt dizzy. However, before he could arrive with the first aid kit, he found his mother passed out. Luckily, the parents had prepared their child and he knew just what to do.
He quickly grabbed his mother’s phone and immediately dialed 999. Despite knowing the code, in the moment of worry, he couldn’t recall it. Nevertheless, he used his sharp intelligence to take his mom’s thumb and unlock the phone to make the call. He spoke to the dispatchers to the best of his ability. "He knew the address but not the postcode, but he found a letter on the fridge with it on and then flagged them down," Emma explained. The mom was able to receive timely help, thanks to the 9-year-old’s brave and quick action. She had a splint on for a while and was expected to recover.
Oakley’s parents and others are proud that he knew just what to do. He received a bravery award from his school, too. "We've kind of had these conversations. With my husband working away, I think we were watching something and it made me think, we need to have a chat about what to do [if something bad happens],” Emma recalled. Her young boy assured her that he’d remember if the time came and needless to say, he meticulously did.