5-year-old calls emergency operator and saves her mom

Thanks to her preparation and composure, she was able to provide vital information to save the day.

Lena, a 5-year-old girl from Poland, knew what to do when her mom collapsed in the bathroom. She called the emergency line (which is 112 in Poland) and kept her wits about her while describing the situation and providing the necessary information. The recording of the conversation between the heroic 5-year-old and the operator was published by the Olsztyn Regional Police Headquarters on its website. It reflects how Lena was worried not only about her mother, but also about her baby brother Tymonek.

“Mom is lying here in the bathroom and … will you come?”

The dramatic events unfolded on Tuesday, July 4, after 7:00 p.m. in the town of Mragowo in northeastern Poland.

Lena began the conversation. “Good morning, madam. (I’m calling) because my mother has a tiny baby and my mother is lying here in the bathroom and … will you come?” The operator skillfully asked the girl about the details, trying to avoid increasing her already intense distress.

“This small but great heroine answered our questions with incredible responsibility and composure,” reads the website of the Warmian-Masurian police. “It turned out that the girl’s mother had lost consciousness, and the girl, keeping her cool, knew how to act. She found her mother’s phone, dialed the emergency number, and called for help. The girl answered the 112 operator’s questions very matter-of-factly, pointing out constantly that there was also a baby in the house. The girl was very familiar with the address she was at, trying to pronounce it as clearly as possible (…) which allowed the appropriate help to be referred quickly.”

A happy ending

When police officers arrived at Lena’s home, they found the woman lying unconscious in the bathroom. Fortunately, after rescuers helped her, she regained consciousness. As the girl had explained to the emergency operator, her one-year-old brother, Tymonek, was also in the house with the girl and her mother.

“Little Lena rose to the occasion by saving her mother’s life, and the attitude of her parents, who taught her how to behave in such a situation, is a role model for all adults,” the police concluded.