A quick-thinking Scarborough girl is being praised for how she handled an emergency, helping save her mother's life.
Gelilia Aedmasu, 8, took charge on the morning of Aug. 16 when her mother's blood pressure dropped dangerously low.
"When I woke up, my mom felt dizzy, so then she was just laying down on the ground," a visibly shy Aedmasu told CTV Toronto's Zuraidah Alman Tuesday.
Aedmasu's mother was unconscious, and her father was at work. But she thought quickly to something she'd learned at school: stay calm and dial 911 in an emergency.
Aedmasu spoke to 911 operator Michelle Everest, who talked her through the situation as the girl waited for help to arrive.
"I would have her put her hand on mommy's tummy or put her face to her mommy's mouth to see (if she was breathing). I would ask her questions and ask her to tell me what her mom said, and she did that for 15 minutes without wavering," Everest said.
In the audio recording of the 911 call, Everest can be heard asking where the girl's mother was in the house, and who was with her. She told her to unlock the door and stay by her mother's side.
"Is she awake yet?" Everest asked Aedmasu.
"She is awake, but she's starting to close her eyes," Aedmasu replied.
"You tell her that you're being a big girl and you're sending help," Everest said.
"Mommy, are you cold? She says she's cold," Aedmasu said. Everest told her to get a blanket and cover her mother.
While on the phone with Everest, Aedmasu also kept an eye on her three siblings, aged 5, 3 and 1.
When the ambulance arrived, Aedmasu could be heard sniffling.
"Don't cry, sweetheart, you did a good job. She's going to be OK," Everest told her.
Aedmasu's mother was taken to hospital, where she was treated and sent home.
The Grade 3 student was honoured by Toronto Police and Emergency Medical Services at a ceremony at J.G. Workman Public School on Tuesday afternoon.
While clutching a teddy bear given to her by EMS, she told media she felt proud of her actions.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Zuraidah Alman
