Filed under: , One day last spring, six-year-old Kaela O'Neill and her mother, Kirsten, were cleaning house. The dust they stirred up aggravated Kirsten's asthma, and she had a severe asthma attack. "My chest just really tightened up," said Kirsten, a teacher. "And that's when I knew I was in trouble. I wasn't getting any air in at all." Kirsten gave Kaela her cell phone; the little girl said, "Mommy, do you want me to call 911?" And then she did. Kirsten had been practicing the 911 call with Kaela for four years, starting with a toy phone. Kaela's call was answered by Okaloosa County dispatcher Nina Hawkins, who couldn't see the girl's location on her computer because Kaela was on a cell phone, not a land line. But that wasn't a problem for Kaela, who was able to describe her mother's condition and give Hawkins accurate directions to her house. Hawkins said, "Because she was so calm and collected, we were able to get there quickly." Today, Kirsten is fine and both Kaela and Hawkins have received a "Citizen in Action" award for their quick thinking and calm reaction. Kirsten says that she wasn't surprised that Kaela was able to call 911; the family has moved from Florida to Texas and are making up songs and games to teach Kaela her address. "I can't believe there are parents out there that don't do this," Kirsten said. I have to tell you, my kids wouldn't know how to call 911. Oh, sure, they know what numbers to dial, and they know our address, but I don't know that either of them could do what Kaela O'Neill did. But I'm sure going to start working with them on that. Could your child call 911 in an emergency? Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments