MINNEAPOLIS - The scene is a banquet hall at the Minneapolis Hilton. Normally a 9-year-old boy would be bored to tears sitting here, but not Rodrigo Sanchez Sosa, this night is all about him.
"I feel proud," smiles the adorable Sosa.
And he has plenty to be proud of. He is, after all, being honored for saving his sister's life.
"I called 911 and interpreted for my mom and it was because of my baby sister, she was having a kind of seizure," Sosa said.
It was May 5 when Rodrigo's 2-year-old sister started convulsing. He had to call the emergency number because his parents don't speak English.
"Based on the questions I was asking, he was able to translate those to his mother who in turn, could give care to his sister," said Tom Polzin, with Hennepin County Medical Services.
Polzin and Dispatcher Lori Patrick both say the young boy had more calm and poise about him than most adults calling for help.
"Of all the calls I take, for only being 9-years-old at the time, he stayed so calm and that helped me do my job better, helped the paramedic do his job better, and got help for his sister," says Patrick.
All three were honored Monday night as 911 heroes for their work.
Rodrigo was given a medal and a certificate to prove his new hero-status. And being an expert now, he had a little advice for other kids calling 911.
"Stay calm when they call. No shouting," he said.
The dispatchers say adults can feel free to follow the same advice.
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