A six-year-old is being praised for her quick thinking when home security cam captured her calling 911 after finding her mother lying unconscious on the floor of their home.
Deja Etheridge, an Army veteran with a disability, was getting ready to take her daughter Jordynn to school on March 14. That morning, she was feeling unwell because of the side effects of a medication she had taken the night before. It left her dehydrated and lowered her blood pressure.
The single mom started up her car to warm it up, but she suddenly felt lightheaded and went back inside to lie down for a few minutes before leaving. However, she didn’t make it to the bedroom and fainted before reaching the stairs.
Jordynn heard her fall and quickly jumped into action, and this is when the home security cam captured her calling 911 and running outside to verify their address on the mailbox for the operator. When the first responders arrived, she guided them to their house to help her mom. The little girl had also called her grandmother, who lived nearby.
A firetruck turned up at Deja’s residence, and EMTs were soon making their way inside Deja’s home with a stretcher.
Deja, also a full-time student, said that she receives treatment from the VA for injuries she sustained during her time in the military.
That morning, Deja recalled hitting her head really hard upon falling. She didn’t feel anything else by that time, and she blacked out.
Her four-year-old daughter, Payton, was asleep at the time. Thankfully, Jordynn heard her fall and immediately rushed to her aid.
“She sprang into action. She followed through with the emergency plan that we had developed before. She went ahead and contacted my mother first and then she contacted EMS,” she told Daily Mail.
When Deja came to, Jordynn gave her the phone, and she spoke to the dispatcher to explain her situation.
“I was truly blessed in this situation to not only still have my daughter home, but thank God I had not made it behind the wheel of a car,” Deja added. “And on top of that, my mom does live close, which is why I’ve always instructed her to contact my mother first.”
Deja said she had taught her daughters what to do during emergencies.
As soon as they were old enough to play games on her phone, she updated her contacts with photos so the girls could identify who was calling. Deja also equipped them with knowledge of important emergency information such as their names, her name, and their address.
Sometimes, she would pause in their neighborhood while driving and let her daughters give directions to their house.
Deja shared her story on TikTok, which has racked up 9.6 million views on the platform as of this writing.
The first part of the home security footage is taken inside the house. Deja zooms in to show part of her leg flat on the floor where she had collapsed.
The video then cuts to the Ring doorbell camera outside, which captured Jordynn running out to their mailbox, holding a phone in one hand.
“Just to be so mature in such a crazy situation, I’m beyond blessed,” Deja told Inside Edition.
The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office honored the girl with a challenge coin and a stuffed animal for her swift actions.
Jordynn was also presented with a 911 Life Saver Award and recognized as an honorary Hanover communications officer alongside county leaders.
“It makes me really, really proud,” said Deja.
The Etheridge family also met Shannon Schiebel, the 911 operator who spoke to Jordynn on the phone.
Deja hopes her experience shows other parents the importance of teaching their children to call 911 in case of emergencies.
“It really makes me emotional cause it’s like you don’t want to put your child in a situation like that, not that it’s something you can really control,” she said. “As a mom knowing my kids are going to look out for me like even though I’m supposed to be their protector and knowing that at such a young age they can step in and be my protector is huge.”
Kudos to Jordynn for thinking on her feet and coming to her mom’s rescue! Click on the video below to watch the home security footage and learn more about this story.
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