When an emergency happens, even the coolest of heads can lose the ability to think straight. We might freeze, stumble and not know what to do. So when a woman collapsed from a seizure in her North Carolina home, her rescue came from the least expected person. Her six-year-old daughter, Quinn Hill.

Jennifer Hill, Quinn’s mother, said the last thing she remembered that night was making dinner for Quinn, as well as Jennifer’s three-year-old son. Quinn, she said, later filled in the details for her mom about what happened.

Six-year-old Quinn ran to get help when her mother, Jennifer Hill, starting having a seizure at home on Jan. 10. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hill

“Quinn told me that I actually sat down in the chair that I’m sitting in right now and I looked up at the ceiling and started breathing weird,” Jennifer said. “She said that I then fell out of the chair onto my left side and my fists were clenched and my body was convulsing.”

My eyes were open and she kept saying, ‘Mommy, Mommy,’ and I would not respond.”

The little girl said that she and her brother tried to wake their mom up. “We were shaking and her hands were together and her eyes were open and she was looking straight up,” Quinn said. Jennifer said that after not being able to get a response, Quinn then took her little brother and went outside to try and find help.

“This is the first time that they’ve ever left our home without us,” Jennifer said. “She even told us that she looked both ways before crossing the street. But they went to one neighbor’s home and they were not home and after that, they went to the next home that they knew. And that neighbor was home and responded to the home with the children.”

Thankfully, the neighbor brought Quinn and her brother back to their home, and then called Jennifer’s husband, police Lt. Jason Hill. He sent emergency medical services to their house. Once Jennifer was at the hospital, doctors found that she had a grand mal seizure.

She had never had one before that evening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that type of seizure affects both sides of the brain. There are many causes ranging from a traumatic brain injury to an unknown reason, but the CDC said they are common and roughly one in 10 people have at least one seizure in their lifetime.

Quinn, 6, was honored in a ceremony held by Conover City Council in Conover, North Carolina, and Feb. 5 was designated “Quinn Hill Day.” Photo courtesy of Tyler King

Jennifer, who was back home from the hospital that same night, said that she has made changes in her life since her seizure. The most important thing, Jennifer said, is to “think ahead” and make sure your children know what to do in case of an emergency at home.

It’s easy to say it will never happen to me but ultimately, we never know. “

“We’ve always spoken with her and our children just about emergencies, but normally it’s a fire or a tornado,” Jennifer said. “So now my iPhone is set up to where it recognizes her face and will automatically unlock in the event she needs to call 911. And we’ve even discussed that if my husband is not at home and we have a Ring [doorbell] camera that she can push that and it will alert this phone as another way.”

Most importantly, though, is how proud she is with Quinn and how the quick-thinking girl was able to not only get help, but keep her younger brother safe. “Proud is an understatement, honestly. She’s my angel. She’s my hero for what she did,” she said. For Quinn, she said she is happy she was able to help her mom. “It made me feel good,” Quinn said. Watch below to hear from Jennifer and Quinn.

Sources: Good Morning America | WSOC TV