Last week, a young girl became a hero when she saved her family from carbon monoxide poisoning by using her dad’s face to unlock his phone and call 911.
According to CNN, 9-year-old Jayline Barbosa Brandão sprung into action when she heard her dad screaming for help and saw that her mother had passed out due to the deadly gas exposure.
“I heard my dad screaming and saw my mom passed out,” Brandão told CNN affiliate WFXT. “So, I unlocked it by using my dad’s face.”
She also took her 7-year-old sibling out of the house and away from danger. Young Jayline’s actions potentially saved the entire family. As her mother, Marcelina Brandão, explains it, the family was using a backup generator to power their Brockton, Massachusetts home after they lost power for three days due to the nor’easter that hit the state that week. The family had initially left the generator by their back door, which was also dangerous, but when they brought it inside later, they inadvertently put themselves in more danger.
Brockton Fire Department Chief Brian Nardelli later told CNN that the family was taken from the house once they arrived and brought to the hospital for treatment. Upon investigating the home, the fire department detected carbon monoxide levels of 1,000 parts per million (ppm) in the house. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, concentrations of 150 to 200 ppm can lead to disorientation, unconsciousness, and death.
“She was so smart,” Jayline’s mother said. “That was very scary. If it wasn’t (for) her to call right away I don’t know what would have happened.”
