4-year-old's call saves his mom

BOUNTIFUL — Andrew Hayes is a hero and he's just 4 years old. His actions Monday morning saved the life of his mother, Mary, who had gone into diabetic shock.

Mary Hayes has been living with type I diabetes for almost 10 years. Since the birth of a baby a year ago she has been prone to more seizures. Andrew had wandered into his mother's bedroom for a little comfort after bumping his head when he recognized his mother was in trouble.

"I came to my mom and she started shaking," said Andrew. "So I called my dad."

Joe Hayes was minutes away from shutting off his cell phone before attending a staff meeting for his job. When it rang, he could immediately hear his son's concern on the other end.

When he heard the word "shaking" the husband knew what the problem was and he gave his son instructions on how to give Mary Hayes a drink of juice. Obediently, Andrew got a juice box, poked the straw in the box and tried to get it to his shaking mother's mouth.

"I knew by all the commotion over the phone that he wouldn't have success, so I called 911," said Joe Hayes.

Andrew hurried to unlock the door and stood outside the house listening to the sirens coming closer, waiting to wave the paramedics to the house.

Joe Hayes works close by and raced up the hill, barely beating South Davis Metro, which responded to the 911 call. He checked her blood sugar level, which was at 30, far below the normal range of 80-120.

The paramedics stayed with her until her blood sugar levels stabilized.

Andrew was rewarded for his heroic actions by the paramedics. They gave him a special badge sticker to wear for the rest of the day. He struggled to wear the fireman's heavy helmet on his head and got a private tour of both the fire truck and the ambulance. When they left, once again Andrew stood on the steps waving to the paramedics, his new friends.

Mary Hayes has fully recovered from the episode but has no memory of the kiss she gave Andrew when he came to her or most of what happened afterward.

Because most of her episodes happen while she is sleeping, the Hayeses are hoping to purchase a monitor which would sound an alarm if her blood sugar level dropped to a dangerous level.

This time, the parents are grateful for Andrew acting as her monitor.

"If Andrew hadn't called no one would have come," said Joe Hayes. "No one would have known."

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E-mail: dramsay@desnews.com