It was an early Friday morning in late January, just a few weeks before Brayden Feurborn’s third birthday. It was a time when most parents like Missy Feurborn would be busy taking care of their toddlers. Suddenly, the tables turned and Brayden needed to take care of his mom at their rural home in northwest Christian County.

“Actually he crawled into bed and told me he was hungry,” said Feurborn.

Feurborn couldn't respond. Diabetic since childhood, she had already been up once that morning, trembling from her low blood sugar, even drinking orange juice to boost it.

What she didn't know is that, instead of shutting her insulin pump off, she had given herself 25 more units, sending her blood sugar plummeting. She was unconscious and dangerously close to a diabetic coma.

"I've always worried about it with Jess (her husband) being a truck driver, not being here,” said Feurborn.

Because of the worry, last year, when Brayden was just 2 years old, Feurborn started teaching him what to in an emergency.

“He could put ring tones with people's names and say, ‘My daddy's calling,’” she said.

Long before he ever recognized the number 2, Brayden was using it to speed dial his daddy. On the phone, 5 became the way to call Grandma and, by hitting 7, Brayden knew he could talk to his aunt.

"He was 2 and a half when he learned all this," said Brayden.

So, on that morning when he couldn't wake his mom, before he was even 3 years old, Brayden grabbed the cell phone.

"And he picks it up and pressed down number 2 and called his dad and kept telling Jess ‘Mommy's sick. She won't wake up,’” said Feurborn.

When Brayden called his dad, dad called 911 and help was on the way for Missy. The call went to the Springfield/Greene County 911 call-taking and dispatch center even though the Feurborns live in Christian County. Still, it’s a successful system that call-takers like.

"Often times in a crisis, a small child can be your best source of information. They don't realize how bad the crisis is but they’re often more calm than adults,” said J.R. Webb, assistant director of the 911 Center.

"My 3-year-old called and basically saved my life,” said Feurborn.

It was an early life lesson that Feurborn believes more children should learn.

"I would tell every parent, ‘Teach your child speed dial,’ because, if it hadn't been for speed dial and us teaching him, then he couldn't have saved anyone,” she said.