‘I’m very proud of him’: 10-year-old boy saves his mother’s life
EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WTHI) – Hanging out and sharing laughs with her son are the moments Tina Brown lives for.
“Him and I have always had a pretty special bond,” she said, “Him and I cherish things together, we do things together.”
These days she’s even more thankful for the time spent with her son Bentley. It’s because of him that she’s alive.
“All I remember are EMTs,” she said, “Bentley got up that morning and he was late for school and Mommy wasn’t responding to him, so he picked up the phone and dialed 911.”
Tina suffered a diabetic low several weeks ago. Bentley was the only one at the house. She says it’s because of his quick thinking that help arrived just in time. Bentley is also living with a medical condition himself as he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy.
“I’m very proud of him, he’s a very special little boy,” she said, “He was able to tell them what was going on, he remembered his address, we’ve really been working with him to dial 911 if something like that were to happen.”
Tina hopes their story will be used as a message to other parents about the importance of teaching their children what to do in an emergency situation.
“I think it’s important to teach your children, especially if you have a medical condition and how it can affect your children. It is important for them to know their address, their names, a number, a way to dial, pick up a phone and be able to dial it, so that they can make a life saving decision,” she said, “If he (Bentley) would have waited until his sister got home at 2 o’clock, he wouldn’t have his Mommy now.”
Tina also continues to educate her son on her diabetic condition as well.
“He really pays attention to Mom and makes sure that my sugars are up. He’s always asking me ‘Mom, where are your sugars at?’” she said, “He really spends more time with Mom and wants to know everything about my sugars, he’s really special.”
Bentley was also honored by the sheriff for his heroic actions. He received a Certificate of Recognition at his school’s Awards Day ceremony.