By Trish Wallace
Jefferson County Suburban Journal
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Receiving the Red Cross Lifesaver Award last week, two local children are proving heroes can come in small sizes.

Because her mother is diabetic, Baylee Cook, 7, knows to keep a close eye on her mother's health. When Baylee's mother, Leslee Cook, arrived home in Festus not feeling well one evening, she went to her room to lie down. Baylee, worried about her mother, sneaked upstairs to check on her mother despite her father's instructions to let her mother rest.

When Baylee arrived in her parent's room, she found her mother unresponsive and sweaty with her eyes rolled back. Baylee ran for her father's help, and he immediately administered the lifesaving medications needed to bring Leslee back to consciousness.

"If it wasn't for Baylee being so persistent, I wouldn't have made it," Leslee said.

Though the Cook's often discuss Leslee's proper health procedures with Baylee and her older brother, Leslee wasn't sure Baylee knew to be so responsible in an emergency situation.

"For a 7-year-old, who would have thought she would know what to do?" Leslee said. "It makes me cry every time I talk about it."

Leslee added that diabetes is a serious disease and that family and friends of those with diabetes should always be watching out for their loved ones.

Every Friday at Sherwood Elementary students can buy a bag of popcorn for only one quarter. One Friday morning on the school bus, Jacob Day, 8, noticed his brother, Nicholas Day, 6, put his popcorn quarter in his mouth. The quarter became lodged in Nicholas' throat, partially blocking his airway.

Jacob, noticing his brother's difficulty with breathing, told Nicholas to cough repeatedly to try to dislodge the quarter. The older brother then notified the bus driver of the situation and upon arrival to school, comforted his brother on the way to see the school nurse, who called 911.

An ambulance took Nicholas to the hospital where he eventually swallowed the quarter.

"It was pretty scary," Jacob said, though his parents and school officials praised his ability to stay calm during the incident.

Jacob's father, Ryan Day, works for the Red Cross and teaches Jacob simple emergency procedures in Cub Scouts. Jacob added that he also accompanies his father to work on occasion where he also learns how to handle emergency situations.

"I like to make sure that everyone is taken care of," Jacob said.