Officers say the little girl’s calm, quick thinking played a critical role in getting help after her grandmother suffered a serious fall at home.
BEAVERTON, Ore. — Family members and police are crediting a 4-year-old with helping save her grandmother’s life after a serious fall last month inside their apartment in Beaverton, Oregon.
Nova Hallett was at home with her grandmother, Charlene, and her baby brother on April 17, when Charlene fell and suffered a head injury that left her bleeding, confused and disoriented, Nova’s mom Haley Rose said.
Instead of panicking, Nova ran outside the apartment complex to look for help. She waved down a neighbor and told them her grandmother had fallen. That neighbor immediately called 911.
Officers responded and said Nova calmly led them directly to her home. The apartment door was unlocked, allowing officers to quickly enter and assess the situation.
Medics brought Charlene to a local hospital, where she spent about a week recovering. She has since been released and is now back at home.
“What 4-year-old knows how to do that?” Rose asked. “Seeing the notification on my phone of the police officers and my mom outside—it was a lot of emotions.”
Rose said Nova initially struggled while her grandmother was in the hospital but now takes pride in the outcome.
“We told her, ‘She’s in the hospital. She’s getting help. You helped her,'” Rose said. “She said, ‘OK, I saved Grandma!’ She felt really, really proud.”
Local police said they were struck by Nova’s composure and courage during a frightening situation.
“Nova demonstrated an incredible level of bravery and awareness, especially for someone so young,” Beaverton Police Public Information Officer Matt Henderson said. “Her ability to recognize an emergency, seek help, and guide first responders to her grandmother undoubtedly made a difference in the outcome.”
Henderson said the Beaverton Police Department plans to nominate Nova for a community life-saving award based on her actions. Rose said she’s incredibly proud of her daughter and thankful that her family is safe.
“There are no words for how I felt that moment, coming home and hearing from the officer of how great of a job that (Nova) did,” Rose said.
