UT Health East Texas EMS to Honor 3-Year-Old for Helping Save Her Mother During Medical Emergency
Tyler, Texas (September 1, 2026) — UT Health East Texas EMS will recognize 3-year-old Noemi “Emi” Vatavuk at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, for her remarkable actions during a medical emergency that helped her mother receive lifesaving care.
Earlier this year, Noemi was at home with her mother, Aiden Wilkie, when Aiden suffered a seizure. Despite her young age, Noemi remained calm and called her grandparents, who live near Atlanta, Georgia. Her grandparents then contacted emergency dispatchers and, with Noemi’s help, guided UT Health East Texas EMS crews to the family’s apartment in Rusk.
“I went into a seizure and I couldn’t move and I couldn’t speak,” Aiden said. “She rolled me over and called my mom. From what I understand from my mom, who was on the phone with her, she rolled me onto my side, rubbed my hair and talked to my mom on the phone.”
Aiden, who was diagnosed with epilepsy as an infant, credits her daughter with helping ensure she received the care she needed.
Throughout the emergency, Aiden’s mother, Ryan McCleod, stayed connected to her granddaughter via FaceTime while Aiden’s father communicated with dispatchers, relaying information Noemi shared.
The situation was made more challenging because the apartment door was locked and responders were having difficulty identifying the correct unit. Following instructions from the dispatcher and her grandparents, Noemi dragged a chair from the dining room to the front door, climbed up to unlock it and then helped responders locate her apartment.
“When dispatch said they were in close proximity, I told Emi we needed to get the chair so she could unlock the door,” McCleod said. “She dragged that chair all the way from the dining room to the front door and opened it. Because dispatch was having a hard time finding the apartment, I told her to yell, and she did it like a champ.
“This kid is resilient beyond anything I ever expected,” McCleod added. “I was so proud of her. There are no words.”
Once she unlocked the door, Noemi went outside with her cat, Nemo, and waited for first responders to arrive.
Lisa Wingfield, the EMS system status controller who dispatched the call, said the unusual circumstances required clear communication and calm under pressure. Because information had to be relayed through Noemi’s grandparents hundreds of miles away, Wingfield drew upon skills developed during her previous career as a music teacher.
“I went into the mode of, ‘The calmer I am, the calmer everybody else is going to be,’” Wingfield said. “I needed to make sure my voice sounded calm, even if I was bouncing around in my seat trying to get them help.
“After the call was over, I turned to my boss and said, ‘I need to take a break,’ and I went and cried because I was so happy they got help.”
Aiden said she is grateful for the teamwork among her daughter, her parents, dispatchers and EMS crews that day.
“She is definitely my hero,” Aiden said of Noemi.
About UT Health East Texas
UT Health East Texas provides care to thousands of patients each year through an extensive regional network that includes nine hospitals, more than 90 clinics, the Olympic Plaza Tower, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, regional home health services, an EMS fleet of more than 65 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive eight-trauma center care network, including the region’s only Level 1 trauma facility.
As a partner with The University of Texas System, UT Health East Texas is uniquely positioned to provide patients with access to leading-edge research and clinical therapies while training and educating the next generation of physicians and other health professionals. The nationally recognized UT System also includes The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as well as three other major university medical centers located throughout the state.