HOUSTON – David Hernandez is thankful to be alive and he knows exactly who to thank.
The north Houston man suffered a ruptured aneurysm in his renal artery and might not be alive if it wasn't for the cool, calm and collected actions of his girlfriend's daughter -- 12-year-old Jenna.
Jenna's mother, Chery,l was already at work last Saturday morning when Hernandez suffered a sudden, intense moment of pain in his side. He woke up Jenna, who called 911. Even through three asthma attacks, Jenna was able to keep Hernandez calm and communicate with the 911 operator -- and she was detailed.
"I was saying how he seemed nauseous. He didn't seem to be able to hold steady balance," said Jenna. "Just all indicators, just in case something is wrong that they can indicate, so that way they can grab whatever they need."
Her mother was impressed almost beyond words.
"She must've dug pretty deep. I think it was a God thing," sayid Cheryl Sutton. "The fact that she was able to stay calm and think all of that through."
Doctors say if Jenna hadn't acted as quickly and calmly as she did, there's a good chance Hernandez would've died that morning.
But the family unit remains intact and Jenna has some advice for any other 12-year-olds who find themselves in an emergency situation.
"It's all about staying calm," said Jenna. "You just kind of gotta move quickly, but you also gotta take the time to think things through a little bit, you know?"
Jenna's mother is a certified surgical technologist and was actually in surgery the morning Hernandez suffered his aneurysm.
She believes Jenna has a good understanding of the field of health and medicine and that may be one of the reasons she was able to stay calm.
