9-year-old girl saves family from carbon monoxide poisoning

BROCKTON, Mass. (WFXT) - As a powerful nor’easter raged across the area last week, a house in Massachusetts was one of many without power for days.

The family decided to use a generator and said it was only in use for about 10 minutes.

One family member, who did not give her name, said they thought the generator was in a safe position, but she and other family members were quickly overtaken by potentially deadly carbon monoxide.

“I thought it was just a headache, then after that, maybe 2-3 minutes, I didn’t feel anything after that,” she said.

She added that she then fell unconscious. That’s when her daughter, 9-year-old Jayline Brandao, sprang into action.

“I heard my dad screaming, and I went and I saw my mom passed out,” she said.

Staying calm, Jayline grabbed her dad’s phone to call 911 but ran into a problem. The phone was locked, and he was overtaken by the odorless gas.

“So, I unlocked it by using my dad’s face,” Jayline said.

It was a race against time, as the carbon monoxide inside of the home measured at over 1,000 parts per million, a potentially fatal exposure.

“I told (911) my mom wasn’t breathing and then they told me the address and told me if I could talk to anyone,” Jayline said.

It was her critical action that helped rescue her five family members who were inside at the time.

“I’m so proud of her, you know” her mother said. “I can’t even describe how happy and proud I am.”

Waking up in the hospital, Jayline’s mom believes her daughter saved her life.

“Oh yes, she did. I wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t in the house,” she said.

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