Last Wednesday night Xavier Dates was watching the Bulls game and during a commercial break ran upstairs to check on his 7 year old daughter Mia who was supposed to be getting ready for bed. After her bedtime story and a kiss goodnight he left to return to the game when halfway down the stairs he tripped. CBS Chicago reports that the noise was such that Mia felt compelled to check what happened. Her father was seriously hurt at the bottom of the stairs and unable to get up.
Mia then took control of the situation. Despite her dad's protests she grabbed her dad’s phone to call 911 and stayed calm while speaking with the operator. She then went to secured the family dog in its cage before responders arrived. She had to find the house keys in order to open the door for paramedics so they could enter quickly. Kevin Rosas was one of the paramedics says "If it wasn't for that girl, honestly, I don't know how long it would've taken to get to Xavier, and honestly with his head injury his brain was swelling fast so he needed that pressure relieved very quickly. There's a very really possibility he wouldn't have made it without Mia doing what she did".
Mia explains that her mother taught her how to call for help during an emergency. After the incident, she received visits from the Lynwood mayor and local police and fire chiefs! The Mayor said "I think it's very important and crucial to teach your kids, if they're old enough to manage a phone, how to kind of recognize dangers or recognize when something's not right, and have the ability to call 911,"
Xavier said "I'm not surprised, because Mia's smart, and she's a strong person. I'm a little emotional, because I'm supposed to be her protector but she's the one who saved me."
Photo: kali9 / iStock / Getty Images