By Tim Henley
The Oklahoman
GUTHRIE, Okla. — Simple song lyrics helped a 3-year-old Guthrie girl get help for her mother who had fainted.
Jessica Eaves, 24, taught her daughter, Madelyn, a song that goes “911 green, 911 green.” That phrase helped Jessica Eaves.
One week after rehearsing the song with her daughter, Eaves, who was three months pregnant, lost consciousness and fell down due to a medical condition called vasovagal syncope, a common cause of fainting.
Remembering the words to the song, Madelyn picked up her mother’s BlackBerry phone and pressed 911 and the green button, which connected her to a dispatcher.
The dispatcher who took the call May 27 was able to pinpoint the location within one block. Dispatchers kept Madelyn on the phone for about 11 minutes, asking questions to help guide emergency workers to the home. Madelyn was able to answer questions about the house and describe her parents’ vehicles . Based on her description, paramedics found the house and were able to help Eaves.
“I was ecstatic,” Eaves said. “I could not believe a 3-year-old girl was able to think that fast and that clearly.”
Little girl has helped before
This isn’t the first time Madelyn’s quick-thinking phone skills have come into play. When she first learned about her medical condition, Eaves taught Madelyn to call for help using another simple song.
A year ago, Eaves lost consciousness while she was pregnant with her son. Madelyn picked up the phone and dialed for help using the lyrics “green, green, green.” By pressing the green button, Madelyn was connected to the last person Eaves called on that cell phone. That person summoned help.
Anthony Gibbs, a Guthrie police officer who assisted in the recent response, said Madelyn’s actions show that parents can teach their children to perform difficult safety tasks “by making seemingly complex actions performable with the aid of something as simple as a song.”