BOCA RATON, Fla. — A Boca Raton girl is being hailed a hero after saving her grandmother's life earlier this week.
63-year-old Karen Baker has five grandchildren. One of them, 11-year-old Rilee, was home sick from school Tuesday.
Baker, a type 1 diabetic for 14 years, was supposed to be looking after Rilee when her blood sugar unexpectedly plummeted on her way out the door to an appointment.
"Everything just started, all of a sudden, just really shaking and I said, I’m not feeling really good all of a sudden," said Baker. "And I came and sat down, and then my granddaughter came out and she said I was all slumped over."
The 11-year-old was the only other one at home when her grandmother went into diabetic shock.
Luckily for Baker, she made it a point to educate her grandchildren about diabetes
"They know if my sugar is high or low, I don’t feel good. I just told them to stay here, don’t go outside, because I don’t know what’s gonna happen," said Baker.
Noticing something was off, Rilee jumped into action, getting her neighbor and calling 911
"I was like, oh my gosh, I’m gonna lose my grandma," said Rilee. "It got to the point where I was so scared that I thought she was going to die."
Paramedics were able to stabilize Baker’s blood sugar, just in time for her to count her blessings, including Rilee, who Baker said is wise beyond her years.
"Don’t be afraid to say something," Rilee said. "They say if you see something, you need to say something."
Looking back on it, Rilee said it was a sick day well spent.
"I’m glad I wasn’t at school yesterday so I could save my grandma’s life," said Rilee.