When 30-year-old Viola Fair went into labor three weeks earlier than expected at home, she had no one else but her 10-year-old daughter to help her, and she pulled off the feat admirably.
On Oct. 23, 2022, Fair had little choice but to ask her daughter, Miracle Moore, to call 911 for help. Despite the distress she was witnessing her mother in, Miracle remained calm and spoke to dispatcher Scott Stranghoener with the Central County Emergency 9-1-1. As an emergency medical team was dispatched to their home in Jennings, Missouri, Stranghoener coached the young girl on how to help her mom until they arrived.
In a post on its Facebook page, the North County Fire & Rescue related Miracle’s “sheer awesomeness” at how she handled the situation. “Miracle was able to help coach her mom through delivery of her newest baby sister, Jayla. Miracle followed all of the instructions given to her over the phone, and when mom didn’t cooperate, she broke out her own ‘mom voice!’ When baby Jayla arrived, Miracle was there with a towel to wipe off her face and to help stimulate her to cry and keep her warm until paramedics arrived,” the post read.
While on the call, Miracle used her “mom voice” to direct her mother as per Stranghoener’s instructions. “Don’t sit on the toilet,” Miracle told her and, “Mama, they said lay on your back in the center of the bed or on the floor.” Miracle told Stranghoener, “She’s crying!”
Apart from that, Miracle also helped put blankets under Fair and unlocked the front door in preparation for the emergency responders’ arrival. She called out, “It’s OK, Mama, it’s OK!” to her mother, then said to Stranghoener, “I think her water broke…”
When the big moment arrived, Miracle yelled, “She’s coming! She’s coming!” while urging her mom to lie down. “She’s here! … Her head is here,” she told Stranghoener. “She’s out!” she finally said. Stranghoener then instructed her to gently wipe the baby’s nose and mouth and wrap her in a clean, dry towel while also ensuring the umbilical cord was not wrapped around the infant’s neck.
“Be very careful, don’t drop the baby, OK?” Stranghoener told her over the phone. Soon enough, the medical team arrived after Miracle had been on the phone for almost 11 minutes. Stranghoener later told KSDK Miracle did an excellent job. “I learned pretty quick that we had a serious situation. We have a set of protocols that we follow, and she followed all of my instructions to a ‘T’ and did an amazing job,” Stranghoener said, adding, “A few minutes later, we had another baby girl in the house.”
Dubbed a “local hero,” Miracle earned a plethora of goodies from the authorities, including a special certificate, a personalized shirt, a pink stork pin (that EMS providers typically receive after delivering a baby in the field), a tablet loaded with educational games and a journal. Miracle’s new little sister, named Jayla, also received some goodies too, including clothes and a Pack’ n Play.
Fair said she was incredibly “thankful” for her eldest daughter, adding, “She was really helpful.” Miracle, meanwhile, is just happy to be a big sister. “She’s really cute. She doesn’t cry a lot, and I get to hold her a lot,” Miracle said.
Congrats to Miracle on becoming a big sister and helping little Jayla into the world! What do you think of the 10-year-old’s incredible actions? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to friends and family.
