It started as an unusual 911 call. “911, what’s your emergency?” the dispatcher, Lisa, asked.
A small, hesitant voice came through the line. “Um… I need help with my math homework.”
Lisa frowned. “Sweetheart, 911 is for emergencies. Is there an adult with you?”
“My mom is sleeping,” the boy said quickly. “She sleeps a lot now. And I don’t know how to do fractions.”
Something about the way he said it sent a chill down Lisa’s spine. “What’s your name, honey?” she asked, keeping her tone light.
“Tyler,” he said.
“And how old are you, Tyler?”
“Seven.”
Lisa exchanged a glance with her partner, Officer Reed, who had been listening in. “Where do you live, Tyler?” she asked casually.
Tyler rattled off an address, and Lisa quickly signaled Reed to dispatch an officer to the location.
“Okay, sweetheart, I’m sending someone to help you with your fractions. Can you tell me more about your mom?”
“She’s been really tired,” Tyler admitted. “She doesn’t wake up much. And there’s no food. I tried to wake her up, but she won’t eat.”
Lisa’s heart clenched. “You’re doing so good, Tyler. Just stay on the phone with me, okay?”
Minutes later, Officers Reed and Calloway arrived at the small, run-down apartment. When they knocked, there was no response. Tyler opened the door cautiously, his eyes wide with worry.
Inside, the apartment was cold, the fridge nearly empty except for a half-carton of milk and some expired yogurt. On the couch lay a woman—thin, pale, and barely moving.
“Mom won’t wake up,” Tyler said, his little hands clenched at his sides. “I didn’t know what to do.”
Officer Calloway rushed to check the woman’s pulse. “She’s breathing, but she’s weak. We need an ambulance.”
Paramedics arrived quickly and confirmed that Tyler’s mother was severely malnourished and dehydrated. Tyler had been trying to take care of her the best he could, surviving on whatever little food they had left.
Lisa knelt down beside Tyler. “You did the right thing by calling us, buddy.”
Tears welled up in his eyes. “I just wanted to help.”
“And you did,” Officer Reed reassured him. “You saved your mom.”
As paramedics took his mother away, a social worker arrived to help Tyler. He was placed in temporary care while his mother received treatment. When she finally recovered, she was given the support she needed to care for her son properly.
Before they parted ways, Tyler hugged Lisa tightly. “Thank you for helping me.”
She smiled, ruffling his hair. “Anytime, kiddo. And by the way, I got Officer Reed here to help with your fractions.”
Tyler giggled as Reed groaned dramatically. “I never was great at math, but I’ll try!”
What began as a simple request for help with homework turned into a life-saving intervention. And for Tyler, it was the day he learned that sometimes, help comes in unexpected ways.
