6-year-old hailed hero for saving mother after she suffered a seizure and collapsed at home

A 6-year-old boy was honored for his quick thinking after his sick mother suffered a medical emergency at their home in Picayune, Mississippi. According to Picayune Item, the February 11 incident happened when little Cornelius’ mother, Cornissia Fairley, suffered a seizure at home. 

Fairley, who has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, started having focal seizures some weeks before her son found her unconscious. The 6-year-old’s family had taught him to call 911 if there was an emergency. And that was exactly what he did.

During the 911 call, Cornelius successfully explained what was happening to Picayune Dispatch. An ambulance responded to the scene and transported Fairley to a hospital after their home was located. Cornelius’ quick thinking is said to have prevented what could have been a possible disaster. 

For his heroics, Cornelius was given the honor to lead the Picayune Mardi Gras the next day. He did that together with Police Chief James Bolton and the Police Department. Besides that, the 6-year-old’s grandparents as well as Mayor Jim Luke and his elementary school principal honored him during a City Council meeting.

Fairley was diagnosed with the illness last year. “When they found it, unfortunately, it had spread to her liver and lungs,” Cornelius’ grandmother, Cornelia Andrews, told WLOX. “And a couple of weeks ago we found out it had spread to the brain as well.”

Despite her condition, Andrews said they still hold their heads up high. “He’s always thinking ‘I want to give this to my mommy,’” she said about the 6-year-old. “You know some kids go into the store ‘can I have this for myself, can I have this.’ But he was more so trying to get something that would give a smile on his mommy’s face.”

Andrews also said Cornelius is always looking out for his mother. “The other day we went into the Dollar Tree getting something and when he came back, he was like ‘Glamma look what I have,’ and he picked up different colored flowers and said ‘I want to take this to my mommy,’” she said. 

A GoFundMe has since been set up to help raise funds for Fairley’s medical expenses.