Illinois 6-Year-Old Calmly Comes to Mom`s Rescue

A 6-year-old Calumet City boy was described as a hero Wednesday for placing a 911 call that may have saved his unconscious mother's life.

While preparing her son Jawan Davis for camp Wednesday morning, Nicole Erving, 26, grabbed her chest and collapsed on the floor of their home in the 900 block of Greenbay Avenue. Jawan dialed 911 from a cell phone around 9:40 a.m. and calmly fielded questions from emergency dispatchers.

"It's possible he saved her life," said Calumet City Fire Chief William Galgan. "Had he not called, you never know what the outcome could have been. . . . The young child did act quite heroically."

With his mother unconscious, Jawan was in charge of his 3-year-old and 11-month-old siblings, who were also in the house at the time of the emergency.

On the recording of the 911 call, Jawan sounded poised and deliberate, giving direct responses to dispatchers' questions and staying on the phone until the ambulance arrived.

"It was kind of remarkable for someone that's 6 years old," Galgan said. "Most kids won't even think to pick up the phone and call 911."

CALM AND COLLECTED DURING CRISIS

One of the dispatchers who fielded Jawan's call described the boy as one of the calmest callers she has ever had.

"If all our callers were like him, it would make our jobs a lot easier," said Brenda West, an eight-year veteran dispatcher.

Jawan had been taught to call 911 in an emergency by his mother, said Galgan, adding that the story illustrates the importance of teaching children how to properly respond to emergencies.

Erving was taken to St. Margaret Mercy Health Care Center in Hammond, Ind., and released early Wednesday afternoon after receiving anti-inflammatory medication, according to Calumet City spokesman Eric Schneider.

Jawan was concise when asked at a Wednesday news conference about his brave performance. "My mom was sick," he said. "I had to help her."

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