A 6-year-old boy who saved his grandmother when she was having a heart attack last year has been honored by an Arizona sheriff’s department.
Phillip Suarez was riding in a car with his grandmother, Kelli Candelaria, in September 2015 in Tucson when she began having severe chest pains, KGUN reported. It wasn’t long before Candelaria realized she was having a heart attack.
After Candelaria pulled into the Pima County Adult Detention Center, the quick-thinking Phillip kissed her on the cheek before running inside and getting the attention of two law enforcement officials, who called 911.
Candelaria said she recalls how calm Phillip remained during the ordeal, as she suffered atremendous amount of pain. The grandmother said she even witnessed him looking both ways before crossing the street to get her help.
On Wednesday, Phillip was presented with the Sheriff’s Citizen Medal by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos for his role in saving his grandmother’s life. Several officers, as well as Candelaria, were in attendance as he was presented with the medal, which he accepted while wearing a “Star Wars” T-shirt.
Candelaria has since made a full recovery since her life-threatening health scare last year.