Five years old girl, her mother's hero!

Sara Evans of Burleson may not have a red cape or the ability to fly, but she was recently declared a hero in her own right.Burleson Mayor Ken Shetter declared Evans an official hometown hero at a recent city council meeting “for the act of life-saving heroism performed on behalf of her mother, Elizabeth Ford.”

Ford has suffered three grand mal seizures within the last six months, and each time 5-year-old Evans responded by calmly calling 911 and providing the dispatcher with the necessary information, according to Shetter’s proclamation.“I taught Sara how to call 911 when she was 3,” said Ford, who has suffered from a seizure disorder since she was about 14.

Because of her medical history, Ford took emergency-dispatcher courses several years ago to learn about handling scary situations calmly, information she passed onto her daughter.“I want to be a dispatcher, too,” Evans said eagerly.During Ford’s last grand mal seizure, which occurred in late May, Ford fell off the couch, and Evans was quick to respond.“I called 911 and told them that she was pregnant and had had a seizure,” Evans said.

“Whenever she has a seizure, she can always count on me.”Grand mal seizures feature a loss of consciousness followed by a period of disorientation, and Ford said Evans’ help has been comforting.“I don’t know when seizures are coming on, and with Dad being gone all the time, I know I can count on her,” Ford said of Evans.

Before proclaiming her a hometown hero, Shetter said Evans’ quick response in calling 911 was heroic and helped avoid catastrophe.“This courageous action averted what could have been a tragic loss to family, friends and the community and deserves special recognition by the governing body of the city of Burleson,” he said.

Although Ford said Evans’ special recognition was great, she believes everyone should know how to react in an emergency situation.“I’m very proud of Sara, but I’m surprised it’s such a big deal because it seems like something all kids should know,” she said.Evans agreed.“Some other parents do have emergencies and the kids might panic,” she said.

The Web site www.emergencypreparednesstips.org offers advice on staying calm and handling such situations.