• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2026 ABC News
  • Living

5-year-old girl dials 911, saves mom's life

Five-year-old Dehvea Boxley showing how to dial 911.
Lashaunastey Turberville
ABC News' associate social media producer, Zoe Moore.
ByZoe Moore
November 19, 2020, 7:50 PM

Lashaunastey Turberville says she's alive thanks to the swift actions of her 5-year-old daughter, Dehvea.

It started as a typical Sunday morning for the mom and daughter. On a recent Sunday in November, Turberville, a 39-year-old federal correctional officer, said she started to feel ill and went to lie down, and before she knew it, said she wasn’t able to move or talk.

Details of what happened next are blurry for Turberville, but she said her daughter called her great-grandmother, who was out at the time, and then dialed 911 for help.

“I could hear her saying, 'I'm gonna dial 911, I’m gonna dial 911,'” Turberville told “Good Morning America.”

Lashaunastey Turberville sits with her daughter Dehvea.
Lashaunastey Turberville

Editor’s Picks

Dog reunited with owner after being lost for nearly a year

  • Nov 18, 2020

FedEx driver delivers surprise gift to Ohio family

  • Nov 18, 2020

3-year-old boy welcomed home from cancer treatment by fire department

  • Nov 17, 2020

Paramedics arrived and took Turberville to the hospital, where doctors determined she had a diabetic hypoglycemic reaction, where her blood sugar level dropped dangerously low.

Turberville said she could have lost her life if her daughter hadn’t picked up the phone to call for help.

Five-year-old Dehvea Boxley strikes a pose.
Lashaunastey Turberville

Related Articles

MORE: 17-year-old is adopted after 3,739 days in foster care and 24 different homes.

As a first responder herself, Turberville said she started teaching her daughter to dial 911 when she was just 3 years old.

“It’s very important that parents out here teach their children what to do in times of an emergency,” she said.

Turberville said that through it all, her daughter remained calm and didn’t cry.

“She really surprised me," she said. "She didn't panic or anything."

Lashaunastey Turberville in her work uniform.
Lashaunastey Turberville

Related Articles

MORE: After 14 sons, Michigan family welcomes a baby girl.

Ever since the incident, Turberville said her daughter checks on her to make sure she’s doing OK.

“She's kind of turned into a little mom,” she added.

Dehvea Boxley sits with her great-grandmother.
Lashaunastey Turberville

Turberville hopes her story will inspire others to teach their children what to do in emergency situations.

Editor’s Picks

Dog reunited with owner after being lost for nearly a year

  • Nov 18, 2020

FedEx driver delivers surprise gift to Ohio family

  • Nov 18, 2020

3-year-old boy welcomed home from cancer treatment by fire department

  • Nov 17, 2020

Up Next in Living—

Christina Koch reunites with dog after historic Artemis II mission

April 13, 2026

Meet the 'sewer singer' going viral on TikTok with nearly 500K likes

April 13, 2026

Home Depot's Skelly returns with upgrades in 'Halfway to Halloween' collection

April 9, 2026

What to know about Artemis II astronaut Reid Wiseman's late wife

April 7, 2026

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2026 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2026 ABC News