8-year-old saves elderly relative

MONON, Ind. (WLFI) - When 8-year-old Micaila Cooley realized her 70-year-old great-grandmother had fallen, she didn't panic: she called 911 and followed the operator's instructions exactly until help could arrive.

Her cool head and quick action saved her elderly relative's life.

It all began when Micaila and her siblings recently visited her great-grandmother in Monon. While playing, Micaila looked up to find her nanny laying unconscious near the back porch stairs, where she had fallen while shaking out a rug.

"It was really scary," said Micaila.

But she knew how to help and picked up the phone to dial 911

Micaila told the operator her grandmother had passed out and had hit her head, and had blood squirting from her head and puddling beneath her.

"I had to hold a towel on her head," remembered Micaila. "The girl from the phone said to put pressure. It did stop bleeding, but not that much, it stopped a little bit."

Not only did Micaila have to care for her injured grandmother, she had to take care of her frightened younger sisters. Micaila said she tried her best not to cry and to keep her sisters calm until help could arrive without losing focus from aiding her grandmother.

In the 911 recording of the call, the operator heard Micaila comfort her grandmother and urge her not to move.

"Nanny, it's OK. You got to be still. We got an ambulance coming," she said.

No one realized Micaila knew those three emergency numbers.

"I didn't know she was capable of dialing of 911, staying calm, giving all the directions to the people and listening to the lady and doing everything she said. She really suprised me that she stayed calm and knew how to do it," said Micaila's mom, Carrie Sherrick.

Micaila said she had learned about 911 at school, and that the numbers just came into her mind.

"She said she stayed really calm and that finally when the ambulance left it, it hit her and she started crying. But she is the oldest and is very responsible," said Sherrick.

The family feels lucky that Micaila and her siblings were visiting when the accident occurred. If they hadn't been there, their great-grandmother might not have gotten help in time.

The experience showed the family and others heroes don't need strength or superpowers: they just need to be quick thinkers.

Micaila's great-grandmother is still hospitalized at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, but is doing well.