25 November 2023 , 18:58
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A six-year-old girl is being hailed as a hero for saving her mum's life after she had a stroke while driving in a remote area.
Bryanna Cook, from Mississippi, called emergency services and guided them to the spot while taking care of her mother with the help of the dispatcher.
The girl and her mum, Yolanda Cook, were headed to see Bryanna’s grandma in Preston on October 23 when Ms Cook had a stroke while driving on Mississippi Highway 21 between Shuqulak and Macon. After the car stopped in the woods, the ailing mum became unresponsive and Bryanna grabbed her cellphone.
Recalling the scary incident, Bryanna said: “I was scared, so I called my grandmother, and my mom wouldn’t wake up."
The older relative told her to call 911. Bryanna first spoke to a Noxubee County dispatcher, who connected her with Lowndes County dispatcher Latonya Malone.
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Bryanna then helped Ms Malone and first responders by describing her surroundings, how far the car was from the road and the condition of her mum, who was otherwise uninjured.
Ms Malone said that while she had Bryanna on the 911 line, she used her phone to talk to Bryanna’s grandmother.
“Bryanna was able to tell us where they were going and the grandmother helped, too, because she told us around where they were at the time” based on when they left home, she added.
Over the next two hours, while first responders looked for the pair, Bryanna stayed on the phone and followed Ms Malone’s instructions.
Bryanna said she opened the doors to give her mother some fresh air and, “I tapped her on the face to see if she would wake up, but she didn’t.”
Information from Bryanna and her grandmother eventually brought first responders to the car, Ms Malone said. The mum was taken to the Macon hospital before being airlifted to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.
Bryanna stayed with her mother at the hospital until Cook was released October 31. “Her teachers and the school principal were all very supportive,” Ms Cook said.
“I helped my mom because I saved her,” Bryanna added. “At the hospital, I helped her get out of bed and walked with her down the hallways because I love her.”
Bryanna is a first grader at Fairview Elementary School in Columbus, and Lowndes County supervisors have adopted a resolution to honour her bravery.
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Fairview Principal Monte Ewing-Johnson said Bryanna displayed values the faculty try to teach the students.
“The level of joy my heart felt when I learned of Bryanna’s heroism is immeasurable,” she said. “Bryanna is kind, compassionate and patient with her classmates; therefore, it is not hard to believe that she was able to call 911 and wait as she and her mom were rescued.”