8-year-old called ‘hero’ for helping save dad. Hear Colorado girl’s calm 911 call
An 8-year-old Colorado girl is being celebrated as a hero for the calm 911 call she made when her dad had a medical emergency.
Adriana Wailes and her dad, John Wailes, were home alone June 1 when John Wailes had a seizure, according to South Metro Fire Rescue in Centennial, which shared the family’s story June 11 in a video on YouTube.
“(Dad) just started shaking,” Adriana told the dispatcher in a shaky voice, the video shows, “and I got really, really worried.”
The 8-year-old was polite and clear during the call, giving her name and address and even helping track her dad’s breathing for the dispatcher.
Steve Smith, the man on the other end of the line, was impressed by Adriana.
“This call was exceptional,” he said in the video. “I’ve never had a call where an 8-year-old was so calm, and her demeanor was so, just, level headed. It was amazing.”
John Wailes thought so, too. The military veteran — who’s battling brain cancer, possibly caused by exposure to toxins during his service — said Adriana’s actions were “so impressive.”
He and his wife both served as military police officers, and he’s a former Department of Defense firefighter, the dad said in the video.
“So, to know that we are raising our daughters so that they can be, you know — so that they can respond appropriately, and that they can handle a situation that I’m sure is extremely scary for an 8-year-old, and do such a wonderful job, means so much to me as a father,” he said, his voice breaking in the video.
John Wailes was treated at a hospital and released that day, officials said.
Centennial is about a 15-mile drive southeast from Denver.
This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 4:55 PM with the headline "8-year-old called ‘hero’ for helping save dad. Hear Colorado girl’s calm 911 call."
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