Daughter honored for saving her mom's life after she collapsed: 'Your calmness made the difference'

Kids are sometimes clueless about what to do when it comes to emergencies. But a 9-year-old Aria Lamen was fully prepared when she faced such an emergency. Her mother collapsed in the house and her quick thinking saved her mother's life. She remembered her father's contact number and also was swift to call 911 for her mother. Aria, who hails from Aurora in Illinois, said, "Kids should know how to call 911....and their parent's phone number, what's their address," as reported by GoodMorningAmerica.

However, she has been appreciated most for her calm demeanor. On February 2, 2023, while finishing her homework in the dining room when her mother, Caron Lamen, collapsed. “Out of nowhere, I just passed out … I briefly remember going in and out of consciousness, I was on the floor and I couldn’t move or feel my entire left side. I could not speak at all, the words were not coming out,” said the mother.

Aria immediately called her father, who is a medic in the Air Force for 20 years and then called 911 and waited for her mother until emergency services came to their house. "I was like panicking, but then I thought, 'Is this going to get me anywhere? Is this doing anything?' I'd rather just get her help than stay in a panic this whole time," Aria said, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Once the ambulance arrived, she put the dog away, locked her house and informed the emergency services about her mother's allergies. “In the ambulance, they wanted to know my allergies, medications and all that because I'm allergic to a lot of stuff,” said Lamen. “Aria said, ‘Well, here I have my mother's phone. I know all that information is on her phone, let me unlock it.’” At that moment, all that mattered to Aria was her mother needed help. She said that she called the police thinking what if her daddy arrived late?

Even the police were surprised to hear Aria was so calm and composed on the call. "I've taken calls for 30 years," said Tracie Whalen, the 911 dispatcher who took Aria's call. "I have never seen a kid ever do as well as she did. I don't see most adults do as well as she did."

After getting to know about what Aria did, the mayor of Aurora presented her with an award from the city for bravery and also let her teach a local Girl Scout troop about how to stay calm during an emergency. "Your courage and calmness made all the difference. Congratulations, young lady," said Mayor Richard Irvin. The 9-year-old wants to be a doctor once she grows up and she is glad that she knows what to do in emergencies and keep other families safe. “I felt really, really happy,” she said. “And also that Mommy was okay.” Her mother spent 16 days in the hospital and is now home. "I just care about telling kids that they need to learn these things, that way their parents or anyone is safe," Aria said.