Staying calm, Braidwood 8-year-old saves his mother’s life

In most ways, Braxton Grayling is just your typical 8-year-old, spending the days hanging out with his friends at school, enjoying his favorite toys and activities, and concentrating on his favorite sport, motorcycle racing.

But on Dec. 30, 2021, Braxton was anything but a typical third grader. It was that day that the youngster’s actions weren’t just extraordinary, but also saved his mother’s life.

It was around 11 a.m. that Thursday during Christmas vacation when Braxton’s mom, Beth Grayling, suffered from a seizure and was unresponsive in their Braidwood home.

Despite being frightened, Braxton was able to dial 911, provide dispatchers with information including his address, his father Josh Grayling’s phone number, and his mother’s medical history, and was then able to lock up the family dogs before the ambulance arrived.

“I need to find this phone now, so I’ve got to get to work,” Braxton said about what he was thinking when he realized his mom was in trouble. “I couldn’t find it, so I thought, what else can I do, can I run to a neighbor’s house if I can’t find the phone? But I found the phone.

“When she had the seizure, I yelled ‘Mom’ twice, and she didn’t wake up,” he continued. “So, I knew something was wrong. I didn’t know what was going on so I said ‘Mom’ twice, maybe I can snap her out of it. But no. Plan A didn’t work. There’s always a Plan B.”

Plan B was to call for help. After searching for a few minutes, he found Beth’s phone and was able to dial 911. He said the dispatcher was helpful, asking questions and talking him through what to do next.

Braxton said he had trouble getting reception at first, so he went out to the garage.

“Mom looked a little scary,” he said. “She showed me on her phone how to get in. You usually have to use a passcode but she showed me a way where I don’t even have to use it.

“I went out to the garage, because I wasn’t feeling comfortable where I was,” Braxton continued, adding that he was frightened from seeing his mother in distress but still knew he needed to help.

“When I saw her eyes go white, my whole body went numb, and I felt like I was just gonna fall.”

All of his actions that day were the direct result of listening closely when his mom told him what to do in case of an emergency, no small feat for an 8-year-old.

Beth Grayling has a pituitary adenoma—a non-cancerous tumor of the pituitary gland that can press on the brain and nerves.

“It was diagnosed in 2010, and it’s caused all kinds of problems,” Beth said. “So, I have a long medical history, and that’s one of the reasons why I was so avid in teaching him what to do in an emergency, because there are lots of times where I am home alone with him,” she added, noting that her husband, Josh, can sometimes work some long shifts at his job with ComEd.

“Now I know that he for sure heard everything I told him, and that he was safe at home,” Beth said.

Not only did he do what she said, but he did it in textbook manner.

WESCOM dispatcher Jill Fasano took the call that morning from Braxton. In addition to her duties at WESCOM, Fasano also teaches first graders how to dial 911 in case of emergency. She said Braxton’s case could be a lesson in itself.

“It was star studded,” she said of Braxton’s call for help. “Ten stars. I got off the phone and everyone in the room could tell that I was on with a child, because you simplify a little bit, you slow your questions down.”

Fasano said as soon as the call ended, she printed out a transcript for her supervisor. She said Braxton’s poise and patience was unique for anyone calling for help in the face of an emergency.

“A lot of people are insistent on the ‘get here now’ and stop asking me questions, but he was just ready for the next task and ready to answer the next question,” Fasano said. “He was so calm that I was taken aback. Seven years I’ve been doing this, and I have to say, this is the best child caller I have had in seven years.”

Fasano added that a lot of children know to call 911, but they don’t know what to do after that, or don’t know the importance of listening and answering questions. But Braxton was the exception.

“He’s so smart, like a 50-year-old in an 8-year-old’s body,” Fasano joked.

And, she added, Braxton’s story is a good lesson for parents on the importance of teaching their children what to do in case of an emergency.

“I think this could teach even adults how staying calm and focusing on what the right now is, is more important for the safety of your loved ones,” Fasano said. “He did so well just keeping mom alive and keeping me up to date with what was going on and following instructions like a pro.”

After the call, Braxton waited for help to arrive.

“They came in and they tried to get my Mom to remember what was going on, but my Mom was acting a little bit weird,” he said, noting that Beth was disoriented, which is common after a seizure. “They told me to get a hoodie on and they were going to walk me over to my neighbor’s. I stayed there for a little bit. I was in my pajamas, I was in sweatpants and a t-shirt, so I just put on a hoodie.”

For his life saving response, Braxton was honored by the Braidwood fire department, the Braidwood police department, and WESCOM during a special ceremony held at the Braidwood Fire Protection District station on Saturday, March 26. In addition to recognition, a medal, and some pretty neat t-shirts, Braxton also got a ticket to ride in a fire department vehicle this July during the Hometown Proud Parade at Summerfest.

“You are an amazing young man,” Emergency Services Coordinator Tonya Cavanaugh told Braxton. “I want you to continue to grow, and we hope that you may think about EMS and fire in the future.”

Braxton is working through a little anxiety that he had after the incident, a normal reaction for anyone, let alone a third grader.

“I told him, something good is going to come out of this,” Beth said. “Sometimes bad things happen and then good things come out of it. Because lives are going to be saved because of this. More parents now are probably going to teach their kids what to do in an emergency when they read this in the newspaper.

“A lot of people panic. And he didn’t,” she continued. “Internally he probably was, but he still did everything he had to do. I’m in awe of him. I told him, you did something that some grown-ups can’t do.”

Braxton said he also has some advice for his classmates in case they face an emergency in their own lives.

He said the first thing he’d tell his friends is that they can always dial 911 on their parents’ smartphones, even if the phone is locked. That’s because smartphones come with “emergency call” access that allows anyone to dial for help.

“And just in case, if you don’t know your address, write it down on a piece of paper and stick it on the fridge,” he said. “That’s what my Grandma did.”