Three young heroes in Ottawa are being recognized for how they responded in a crisis, calling for help when it mattered most. Kailey Nathoo, 11, Christly Dana Julsaint, 12, and Reem Al Amhad Al Hasan, 11, were honoured on Monday through the 911 Children’s Achievement Awards for their quick thinking, bravery, and good judgement during an emergency situation. When Nahtoo’s grandfather fell and hit his head, she knew she had to act fast. “When you’re calling 911, don’t hesitate, you just have to do it,” Nathoo says. On the other end of the line, a dispatcher helped guide her through the emergency, keeping her calm and walking her through what to do until first responders arrived. “They keep explaining to me what to do and how to let police in and to get a cloth to put on my grandpa’s head,” Nathoo recalls. That calm under pressure stood out to the dispatcher. “She was calm, cool and collected, like a lot of people are not in that kind of situation,” said Emilie Brenning, who spoke with Nathoo during the call. “She followed the directions very well.” While it was a tense moment, Nathoo’s family says they’re proud of how she handled it. “She was able to help save her family, help a family member at a time of need, it’s amazing,” says her mother, Colleen Nathoo. Her bravery and that of two other children is now being recognized by the city through the Children’s 911 achievement awards. Julsaint called 911 when her cousin fainted at a birthday party. “I was pretty scared and nervous, but I decided to stay calm,” she says. “They were telling me instructions and what to do, and I was following and listening closely so I could actually save her life.” Al Ahmad Al Hasan is also being recognized after calling for help when her five-year-old sister had trouble breathing due to asthma. She stayed on the line with paramedics, translating for her mother. “My English has improved, and I know what to say… I’m going to answer all the question so easily,” she said. The award honours children 12 and under who effectively used 911 during emergencies, something paramedics say can make a critical difference. “They were not only able to call 911, but to tell us where they are, what is going on, and answer our dispatchers’ questions so we can direct the right help as quickly as possible,” says Marc-Antoine Deschamps with the Ottawa Paramedic Service. “Children, if they see an emergency, we don’t want them to be scared of calling 911. Even if they call 911 by mistake, that happens, the only thing that we ask is that they stay on the line so we don’t think that it’s a real emergency that just got disconnected, so they’re not in trouble,” Deschamps adds. For Nathoo, the message is simple, and one she hopes other kids will remember. “If you don’t call, maybe they can’t get the help that they need… you need to call so they can get the right help.”
