A 7-year-old girl in Silver Spring, Maryland, is being hailed as a hero after she called 911 when her father collapsed in their apartment.
JoJo Viloria had a diabetic seizure last month and fell to the floor unconscious. His daughter, Jenna, found him and tried to wake him but could not.
Viloria said at a ceremony to honor her Wednesday at Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services headquarters that her mother taught her how to respond to emergencies when she was just 3 years old.
"She told me first two things that were important -- the address and the number," she said. "That was really scared to me, but I did it by myself."
In a critical moment for her father, she used what she learned:
Dispatcher: “How old are you, honey?”
Viloria: “I’m 7 years old.”
Dispatcher: “OK. Is your mommy or daddy there?”
Viloria: “My dad is on the floor, and he’s on the ground sleeping.”
Dispatcher: “OK, is there anyone else there with you?”
Viloria: “No, it’s only me. My mom is at work, and my grandpa’s at work.”
Dispatcher Amanda Poore sent paramedics and instructed Viloria on how to count her father's breaths.
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"I went ahead and went for it. I knew she was smart and she could do it," Poore said.
A member of an EMS crew gave JoJo Viloria a glucose shot and revived him.
Viloria was happy her father was awake, but she was concerned when her mother came home.
"I said, 'Are you mad that I called the 911?'" Viloria said. "And then she said, 'No, I am not mad. I'm very proud of you.'"
Viloria is a model for how children can help in the event of an emergency, Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said.
"Jenna is a poster child for doing everything right when faced with the challenge and stress of a potential life-threatening crisis," he said.
JoJo Viloria said he thanks his daughter daily for helping him.
"I told her, give me a hug and thank you for saving my life. Every day, every night," he said.