HARRISON Lillis may be only six years old, but he has a cool head in an emergency.
The Year 1 student at St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School, Nerang, recently woke to find his mother Kim was unconscious on the bathroom floor. His father Paul had already left for work.
Instead of panicking, however, Harrison called for help and then looked after his three-year-old sister until it arrived.
Kim, who has since undergone surgery and is back to good health, is urging all parents to ensure their children know who to call for help regardless of their age.
“Harrison didn’t know to ring triple-0 but he knew to ring my mum who lives 10 doors away,” she said.
“We had taught him how to find his Nan’s number in my mobile phone so he went and found my phone, then the number that is listed under Mum and rang her.”
Unfortunately for Harrison, the call went to message bank because of the early hour so he left a clear, detailed message and then set about waking and looking after his younger sister Georgia.
Kim said Harrison had a speech impediment that could make him a little hard to understand at times but his message was clear and concise.
“Mum has kept the message that says, ‘Nanny, Mum’s really sick and you have to come and get us now. I’ll have us ready’, and he finished it with a thank-you.
“He then woke Georgia and explained that I was sick and got them both dressed in warm clothes including hats, shoes and socks, made a breakfast of sandwiches and sat Georgia in front of the TV to wait for help.
“We didn’t even know he knew how to turn the TV on but he just took full control, and that’s how my mum found them.
“He told me later it was all right as he prayed to God that Nanny would be there soon.”
Harrison has since received a special award at his school assembly for his bravery and for making responsible choices.
