Skip to main content

Murray Journal

Murray hero: 7-year-old calls 911 to help pregnant mother

Jul 26, 2017 04:24PM ● By City Journals Staff

Lennox Alo with one of the firemen who helped care for his unconscious mother after he called 911 on March 18. (Mandy Ditto/City Journals)

By Mandy Ditto

Lennox Alo of Murray became a hero to his mom and to people across the city when he stayed calm and called 911 after his pregnant mother fainted in their home on March 18. 

 The fire department, city paramedics, city council members and the mayor’s office recognized Lennox for what he did in an official ceremony on June 16, with family and friends present. 

 “I can’t believe how mature you were and how calm and collected you were,” said Mayor Ted Eyre to Lennox. “And he went back and forth to make sure his two-year-old brother was well taken care of before police got there. Lennox, we just can’t say how proud we are of you, you did a great job and look at all of these wonderful people who are here to make sure you know how proud we are.”

 Amenda Alo, Lennox’s mother, has had preeclampsia with her last two pregnancies, and went to lie down because she wasn’t feeling well. After getting up from her nap to check on her two boys, Lennox heard a bang and ran to the hallway to find his mother passed out. He dialed 9-1 on his mother’s phone, then checked that she was completely unconscious before dialing the last 1. 

 Lennox used a piece of mail to give the operator their address and was given instructions to help his mom while paramedics headed there. Amenda’s friend stopped by just then and was able to take over until paramedics arrived. 

 “I know dad and I are sometimes hard on you Lennox, but we appreciate you are good at school and what you did, and stayed calm and made sure that Maddox and I were okay when daddy wasn’t there,” Amenda said at the ceremony. “I want to thank everybody who was there to help and everybody here being supportive.” 

Captain Russ Jensen of the Murray City Fire Department had responded the day Lennox called and wanted “to honor him and thank him for being there for your mother and your family,” he said. 

 “When we got there, the police officers got there first and…they had started rendering aid, and Lennox was right there, he was very calm and very collected, and he gave a very good description of what happened to his mother,” Jensen recalled. “It was so impressive to see him act in such a heroic way.”  

 Some members of the paramedic team attended the ceremony to see Lennox honored, and he and his little brother were given some honorary gear and a certificate from the fire department. 

 “This is one thing that the fire department really depends on—they depend on people your age and up being able to help in times of crisis, and you set the example of somebody who can do that at seven years of age, to really help somebody in need,” Eyre said. “Whatever accolades you get today you really deserve.” 

 Other members of city leadership spoke about the mindfulness of Lennox to help in such a situation with his mother and to act quickly in calling the right people to help. 

 “We’re very proud to work with the dispatch unit to know that it works properly … it shows how this system works, so thank you and we want to make you an honorary member of the Murray City Council, so we are going to present you with this pin,” said councilman Blair Camp, who is also former Fire Chief of Murray.