3-Year-Old Uses FaceTime to Save Her Dad’s Life

We all worry about our kids spending too much time on their phones, and when they’re really young, we try to restrict their access altogether. But sometimes, being tech-savvy really comes in handy. If 3-year-old Molly McCabe hadn’t known her way around an iPhone, it’s possible her dad wouldn’t be alive today.

The two were at home on July 4th when Molly’s dad, Trevor, suffered a sudden stroke. The terrified toddler used her dad’s phone to FaceTime her mom, Devon, a nurse at Winchester Medical Center in Virginia. Devon missed the first call, but Molly tried again 15 minutes later and got through.

“She was sobbing, crying, [saying], ‘Look at daddy, look at daddy,’” who was convulsing on the floor, Devon told the The Winchester Star.

Devon called a neighbor who ran over to the house and called 911. A blot clot had reached a major artery in Trevor’s brain, and he was airlifted to a hospital for emergency brain surgery. Devon says she learned that type of stroke is fatal for 85 percent of patients who have it, since it affects the parts of the brain that control breathing and heart rate. Had Molly not called her mom—twice!—Trevor wouldn’t have gotten medical attention in time to save his life.

So how did Molly know how to use FaceTime? Even her mother was surprised at her daughter’s tech know-how. “We FaceTime with her grandparents every other day, but I’m the one doing it,” she said. “The only thing I can think is that maybe she has seen me do it so many times that she remembered what to do.”

Not only did Molly act fast to save her father’s life, but she also looked after her 2-year-old sister during the whole harrowing ordeal.

Trevor is still in the hospital. Family and friends have set up a GoFundMe to help the family with expenses, as he still has a long road of recovery ahead of him.