A 13-year-old boy from Long Island, NY, is being called a hero after a recent phone call he made to 911. The teen faced something most don’t – a pregnant aunt who suddenly went into labor. And it’s not the first time he’s helped during a birth.

The Southampton Town Police Department received a 911 call from Miguel Dominguez of Flanders, NY, who said his aunt was having her baby in his living room.

Public safety dispatcher Christopher Brenner answered the phone. He helped give Miguel the childbirth instructions that he would need to help his aunt deliver the baby. “While on the phone with PSD Brenner giving birthing/medical instructions, and the assistance of the cool-headed actions of a 13-year-old child, the mother successfully delivered a healthy baby boy,” the police department said in a statement.

Southampton Police Officer James Cavanagh (left) and Dispatcher Chris Brenner. Photo courtesy photo of the Southampton Police Dept.

Miguel said he was in his room drawing when he heard his aunt screaming from the bathroom. Miguel and his mother raced to her side, and then moved his aunt to the living room. There, they both worked as the 911 operator gave them instructions. Miguel translated the English instructions into Spanish so his mother, and aunt would understand.

The officer told me I had to take care of my aunt.”

Officer James C. Cavanagh arrived at the home during the birth. He witnessed Miguel relaying Brenner’s instructions in Spanish to his mother. “(Brenner) was telling the child to secure the umbilical cord,” Cavanagh said. 

Cavanagh then informed the ambulance of the active birth and grabbed his medical equipment. When he returned, the baby boy was already wrapped in a blanket.

The mother and baby were taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center by ambulance. Miguel, remarkably, actually had prior experience with childbirth: He helped another relative who went into labor unexpectedly years earlier. “I’ve done this before,” Miguel said, smiling.

Cavanagh praised Miguel’s composure during the situation. “He was just talking [to dispatch] like it was nothing to him. It was pretty impressive.” The police praised everyone involved, stating, “Thanks to the professionalism and diligence of all involved, both mother and child are resting and healthy at the hospital.”

Miguel’s actions made a huge difference in how the situation turned out, Cavanagh said. “It takes a lot of courage, and he did an excellent job. They’re the real heroes—between the woman giving birth, her sister, the boy, and our dispatcher, they did all the work. It can be tough, but it’s a beautiful thing.” Watch below!

Sources: Riverhead News Review | People