Grandparents are known for being loving and generous caregivers of their grandchildren. In fact, they are normally so good at that job that we don’t often think about what might happen if the roles were ever reversed. For example, most people don’t know what would happen if a grandparent experienced an emergency and their young grandchild had to be the one to step in and save them.
But that’s exactly what happened with Mary Wetrich. When Mary began to experience symptoms of a stroke, the person who stepped up and was able to help save her life was her 4-year old granddaughter Aribella.
Out of nowhere, Aribella’s grandma began to have a medical emergency.
Mary Wetrich says that while walking down her hallway she began to have an intense pain in the back of her head. Before she knew it, she was on the ground and her face was turning red. Mary was also unable to speak. Although it hasn’t been revealed what she was experiencing, those symptoms closely mirror a stroke.
This was becoming an emergency situation, and fortunately Aribella knew what to do. She called 911.
For Aribella, calling 911 was a no-brainer.
As soon as she realized that her grandma needed help, Aribella wasted no time leaping into action. She explains her choice to stay levelheaded in a straightforward way, explaining to News5 Cleveland:
“I had to call somebody, and I picked her phone up and I called somebody by myself, and Mimi teached me how to call 911.”
Aribella stayed on the phone with 911 dispatch for almost 7 minutes.
In what was surely a scary situation, Arabella stayed calm throughout the entire phone call. She even managed to clearly communicate specific instructions for the paramedics, such as “go to the back” and that the door was unlocked.
Aribella also expertly wrangled the family’s dog into another room so that they would not distract the paramedics once they arrived. This was at the direction of the 911 dispatcher, but Aribella’s ability to calmly and efficiently complete this task is impressive to say the least.
Aribella’s grandmother is grateful and amazed by how Aribella handled the situation.
Mary tells News5 Cleveland:
“She was able to relay our phone number, where we lived all of that. Just phenomenal. It just goes to show that they really do listen…She’s my angel.”
For how well she handled the situation, Aribella was awarded by the paramedics.
Her town’s emergency responders were amazed at her helpfulness during her grandmother’s emergency. They presented her with a commendation for her actions in order to thank her.
That commendation is now Aribella’s prized possession. It hangs framed in her bedroom, and Aribella’s mother says that Aribella will show it off to any guests in the house.
It’s lucky that at Aribella’s age she knew exactly how to call 911.
Mary Wetrich knows how lucky she is that Aribella had these skills at hand.
In addition to being eternally grateful that her granddaughter saved her life, she also says that she hopes this story encourages parents and caregivers to teach their children how to use a phone and how to call 911. Although some people may think that 4-year olds are too young for that sort of thing, you never know when it could end up saving someone’s life.
To hear more about the story from Mary and Aribella directly, watch the video below!
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