A young Okotokian has been recognized by the EMS Foundation as a ‘Young Hero’ for calling 911 after her mother fainted and was unresponsive.
On Nov. 11, 2021, Brianne Horlings, 3, pressed the side button on her mom Hannah’s iPhone three times to trigger the ‘Emergency SOS’ function which dials emergency dispatch.
When the operator at Foothills Regional 911 picked up, Brianne told them that her mom had passed out. She was able to tell the dispatch that she lived in Okotoks, what her house number was and what her phone number was.
“I just fainted. I don’t know what happened. I felt numb, I was feeling really off all morning,” said mom Hannah. “I went down and that was it. I don’t really remember anything, I just kind of woke up on the floor.”
Below is a recording of Brianne talking to 911 dispatch. Personal information has been omitted from the audio to protect the caller's privacy. Hannah Horlings/ Facebook
When she came to, there were emergency medical personnel coming through her front door.
Hannah gave birth to Brianne in 2018, and had her gallbladder removed shortly after due to the presence of gallstones.
When she and her husband Patrick welcomed their son Hank in 2020, Hannah once again developed gallstones, despite no longer having a gallbladder. After undergoing surgery to removes the stones, she developed necrotizing pancreatitis.
She was able to return home following the surgery but soon needed to be transported back to hospital. This time, Hannah didn’t come home for three months.
In October 2021, Hannah needed an ambulance once again, as she had a blood clot in her spleen that had forced her stomach’s varicose veins to explode.
Hannah explained that by this point Brianne associated EMS and ambulances with her mom being sick.
“She was just petrified of ambulances,” she said.
Over the past year, Hannah said that she and her husband worked to tell Brianne positive things about ambulances – that they are good, safe and around to help people. This was mostly because of her mom’s medical history.
Hannah said that she was on the mend but having had most of her spleen and pancreas removed less than a year ago and having recently been diagnosed with thyroiditis she was presented with ongoing health challenges.
Though she is not exactly sure what triggered the incident in Nov. 2021, Hannah said that it could have been a lot worse than it was. She was discharged from the hospital the same day and had appointments to follow-up with her specialists soon after.
When she was contacted a few weeks later by the EMS Foundation, notifying her that Brianne was nominated by an attending paramedic for a ‘Young Hero’ Award, Hannah said she couldn’t contain herself.
“I just kept crying; I was so overwhelmed,” she said. “It feels terrible that I ever had to teach my kid this, but I'm very thankful that she knew what to do in an emergency.”
The award recognizes young people who have used 911 correctly in a real emergency, according to the EMS Foundation website.
Hannah said her biggest piece of advice for parents is to teach children their address and talk to them about situations that are considered emergencies and when to go to an adult or call 911.
“We’re just really proud of her,” she said. “We’re just really amazed and in awe of her every day.”
