Toddler Calls 911 After Mother Collapses

A toddler knew to call 911 when his mother collapsed and lost consciousness, thanks to a children's book his grandmother had sent several months earlier.

Four-year-old Tony Sharpe was in his Alaska home with his mother, Courtenay, when she blacked out.

So the four-year-old went to the phone and reached the Fire Department by dialing the emergency number.

He told the dispatcher: "Mommy is sick. Mommy needs an ambulance. Mommy fell over. She is sleeping", according to a recording of the call... Can you call the ambulance?" he continued. "When Daddy gets here, Daddy will see if there's something wrong with mommy".

The boy then described the family's apartment building, which is white with a blue roof.

Mom Courtenay was conscious and barely able to speak when firefighters arrived.

It turns out Tony had practiced dialing 911 countless times in one of his favorite books, "It's Time to Call 911: What to do in an Emergency". The interactive book rewards its reader with a blast of emergency sirens and a cheery "good job" when 911 is punched into the key pad.

"You know kids", Courtenay says, "once they latch onto a book, they want the same story read to them over and over again. After awhile, he pretty much knew the book by heart".

The boy will be honored in May by the volunteer fire department with a T-shirt, a plaque and a ride on a fire engine. His parents rewarded him with a much-wanted puppy.

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