4-Year-Old Boy Receives Life Saving Award After Saving Mother’s Life, Who Went Into Septic Shock While at Home

Children have a way of surprising their parents, but that would be an understatement for Asher Milless – a 4-year-old boy who received a Life Saving Award after his mother went into septic shock. With no formal training, he used his natural instincts to save his mother’s life as she struggled to breathe while at home. 

Rachel Milless, a registered nurse who suffers from asthma, was feeling sick a few months ago as she battled a case of influenza. She decided it was time to check herself into the ER but first had to get her three children – all under the age of 4 – ready so she could drop them off at her sister’s house. 

In the midst of getting them ready, her breathing got so bad she needed her nebulizer, which was in the other room, to help her breathe. On her way to get it, she fell to the floor and went into septic shock – she couldn’t talk or move. What happened next was nothing short of amazing and ended up saving her life.

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Her 4-year-old son, Asher, immediately took action. He grabbed the nebulizer, hooked it up, put the medication in it, and held it up to his mother’s face. “Just breathe, Mom,” he said as he went through the motions with her. Keep in mind this is a 4-year-old boy who was never taught how to use the nebulizer. 

That’s not all. He then grabbed his mother’s cell phone, held the side button down, and asked Siri to ‘Call Daddy’ – again, he had never been taught how to use the phone. While he thought he was calling his father, who was out of town at the time, he ended up calling his grandfather, who then called 911. 

It wasn’t long before his father, Tyler Milless – a state trooper – got ahold of Asher and started asking him questions to get a feel for what was going on without scaring his son. He responded to all the questions as if he had been through it before and remained on the phone with his dad until police officers arrived.

When the officers arrived at the home, they were surprised to see a 4-year-old boy answer the door and take them to his mother. And while all this was going on, Asher was taking care of his two younger siblings – a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old – by making sure they had snacks and toys to distract them. 

Asher Becomes Youngest Recipient of Life Saving Award

The paramedics eventually arrived and transported Rachel Milless to a local hospital, where she was treated. It was there that doctors told her she wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for her son’s actions. While it took several weeks to recover, Rachel is now back to full strength – and has her son to thank for that.

For his brave and instinctive actions, Asher was given the Life Saving Award by the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office – becoming the youngest recipient of the award in the office’s history. Despite never being taught any of the things he did that day, it shows just how much children can learn through observation.

“A couple of my friends have said, ‘My 4-year-old could never do that,’ and I said, ‘If roles were reversed, I would have told you my 4-year-old could have never done that. It’s just crazy to see, they really are sponges,” said Rachel in an interview with Good Morning America. She called Asher her guardian angel.

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Following the incident, Sherburne County Sheriff Chief Deputy Steve Doran urged parents around the world to teach their children how to dial 911 in an emergency as soon as they’re developmentally ready. Not only will it teach them a valuable lesson, but it very well could be the lesson that saves a life.