A 3-Year-Old Texan Helped Save Her Mom During a Seizure
Noemi Vatavuk is three years old. She knows how to FaceTime her grandparents, how to unlock a door for paramedics, and apparently, how to keep it together when everything is falling apart around her.
Earlier this year, Noemi was home alone in Rusk, Texas with her mother Aiden Wilkie when Wilkie — who has had epilepsy since infancy — suffered a grand mal seizure. She went down fast and hard. Noemi had no way of knowing exactly what was happening. But she knew something was wrong, and she knew what to do about it.
She grabbed the phone and FaceTimed her grandmother, Ryan McLeod, who lives near Atlanta. McLeod stayed on the FaceTime call to keep Noemi calm while Aiden's father got on the line with 911 dispatchers, relaying everything Noemi could see and describe from inside the apartment.
While all of this was happening, the three-year-old rolled her mother onto her side — the recovery position that prevents someone from choking during a seizure. Then she sat next to her, rubbed her hair, and told her it was going to be okay.
"Mommy, it's gonna be okay," she said.
When paramedics from UT Health East Texas EMS arrived, Noemi went to the door and unlocked it so they could get in.
"I didn't know what was happening, I couldn't hear or see anything, so it was all up to her," Wilkie told reporters afterward. "She rolled me over and called my mom. From what I understand from my mom, who was on the phone with her, she rolled me onto my side, rubbed my hair and talked to my mom on the phone."
At the end of the call, the 911 dispatcher told Noemi she'd done a huge help for her mommy. The three-year-old had one question.
"I helped mommy?"
"Yes, you did. You did. You did a huge help for mommy," the dispatcher told her.
Noemi was honored Tuesday at a ceremony where UT Health East Texas EMS Medical Director Yagnesh Desai presented her with a certificate recognizing her fast, calm action.
"I helped Mommy," she told everyone at the ceremony. That was all she had to say.
How Did a Three-Year-Old Know to Do All That?
It's the obvious question. The answer turns out to be both simple and important.
Wilkie had epilepsy before Noemi was born. Living with a seizure disorder when you're a parent means having a plan — and making sure even the smallest members of your household understand it at whatever level they can. Wilkie had taught Noemi the basics: if Mommy falls and doesn't wake up, call Grandma. The recovery position — rolling someone onto their side — is something Noemi had seen practiced.
She didn't do everything perfectly by any adult standard. She did everything that mattered.
This is actually a recognized and recommended strategy for parents and caregivers with epilepsy. The Epilepsy Foundation specifically advises that parents with seizure disorders talk to their children about what to do in an emergency, tailored to the child's age and cognitive level. Even young toddlers can be taught simple steps — who to call, what button to press, how to unlock a door. The technology piece has gotten easier too. FaceTime and video calling let a frightened child maintain visual contact with a trusted adult who can guide them through what to do in real time, which is exactly what happened here.
What to Actually Do During a Seizure
Because most people will witness a seizure at some point in their lives and most don't know what to do, it's worth being clear.
The most important things: don't hold the person down or restrain their movements. Don't put anything in their mouth — the idea that someone can swallow their tongue during a seizure is a myth, and putting objects in the mouth creates real injury risk. Do roll them gently onto their side if possible, which is what Noemi did — it keeps the airway clear. Time the seizure if you can, because a seizure lasting more than five minutes is a medical emergency requiring immediate 911 contact. Put something soft under their head. Stay with them and speak calmly until it passes.
Call 911 if the person doesn't regain consciousness within a few minutes, if they have another seizure immediately after the first, if they're injured during the fall, if it's their first known seizure, or if they have a medical condition like diabetes or are pregnant.
Noemi got most of that right. She's three.
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