A vigilant six-year-old boy is being heralded by his community with a "Citizen Life-Saving Award" for quick-thinking that helped save his diabetic mother’s life.
In May, Denise McCormack was at home with her son Ronan Male when her blood sugar levels dropped, causing McCormack to have trouble speaking. With nobody else at home to help, six-year-old Ronan rushed to the phone and dialed 911.
"I told the operator, ‘I need an ambulance because my mom is diabetic,’" Ronan told CTV Edmonton.
While waiting for emergency crews to arrive, Ronan gave his mom juice and granola bars -- sugar that helped save her life.
"My dad says to get mommy a juice box and I forgot to remind her to have something to drink," Ronan told the 911 operator in a recording of the emergency call.
Most importantly, Ronan was able to tell emergency responders how to get to his house. He knew his address and phone number, which helped 911 operator Monica Grela locate McCormack.
"Ronan was able to be very clear, he was able to be very calm and answer the questions that I had," Grela told CTV Edmonton.
When the paramedics arrived at the house, McCormack says they didn’t have to put an IV in her because her son had already supplied her with plenty of juice and granola bars.
"I’m very proud of him, I don’t know what would have happened to me if he hadn’t been there," McCormack told CTV Edmonton. "I’m very grateful that he thought fast and dialed 911."
Alberta Health’s Emergency Medical Services presented Ronan with the "Citizen Life-Saving Award" during an assembly at his school, St. Angela Catholic School, in Edmonton.
With a report from CTV Edmonton’s Jonathan Glasgow
