Girl, 7, Calls 911 After Father Falls to Floor Unconscious

"Thank you for saving my life," JoJo Viloria told his daughter

A 7-year-old girl in Silver Spring, Maryland, is being hailed as a hero after she called 911 when her father collapsed in their apartment.

JoJo Viloria had a diabetic seizure last month and fell to the floor unconscious. His daughter, Jenna, found him and tried to wake him but could not. 

Viloria said at a ceremony to honor her Wednesday at Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services headquarters that her mother taught her how to respond to emergencies when she was just 3 years old. 

"She told me first two things that were important -- the address and the number," she said. "That was really scared to me, but I did it by myself."

In a critical moment for her father, she used what she learned: 

Dispatcher: “How old are you, honey?”
Viloria: “I’m 7 years old.”
Dispatcher: “OK. Is your mommy or daddy there?”
Viloria: “My dad is on the floor, and he’s on the ground sleeping.”
Dispatcher: “OK, is there anyone else there with you?”
Viloria: “No, it’s only me. My mom is at work, and my grandpa’s at work.”

Dispatcher Amanda Poore sent paramedics and instructed Viloria on how to count her father's breaths. 

"I went ahead and went for it. I knew she was smart and she could do it," Poore said. 

A member of an EMS crew gave JoJo Viloria a glucose shot and revived him.

Viloria was happy her father was awake, but she was concerned when her mother came home.

"I said, 'Are you mad that I called the 911?'" Viloria said. "And then she said, 'No, I am not mad. I'm very proud of you.'"

Viloria is a model for how children can help in the event of an emergency, Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said. 

"Jenna is a poster child for doing everything right when faced with the challenge and stress of a potential life-threatening crisis," he said.

JoJo Viloria said he thanks his daughter daily for helping him.

"I told her, give me a hug and thank you for saving my life. Every day, every night," he said. 

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