‘He’ll forever be my hero’: Seminole County boy honored for helping grandmother during emergency

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Elijah Alba, 11, and his grandmother were walking home from a Seminole County bus stop back in December when his grandmother suddenly collapsed.

“She started having trouble breathing,” Elijah recalled. “And then she told me to call mom. And then I saw her on the ground.”

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He called his mom, who called 911. Then dispatcher Jen Moriarty called Elijah on his cell phone to walk him through what to do before first responders arrived.

“He’ll forever be my hero,” his grandmother, Denise Diomede, said.

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Thanks to his bravery, she is now doing well.

On Wednesday, the Seminole County Fire Department designated Elijah as an “honorary firefighter” for this quick thinking in a crisis. Along with the honor, the Orlando Magic gave him basketball tickets, and he also received tickets to see Monster Jam.

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“I’d rather have her in my life than all this,” Elijah said. “She cares for me a lot and I care for her. And she’s way better than all the stuff we got today.”

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