Daughter Who Saves Mom's Life Receives Award In Montgomery County

GERMANTOWN, MD — A six-year-old girl from Germantown is being hailed a hero she helped saved her mother's life.

This month, Kaltoum Fakri received the Chamber Community Award for her quick thinking and heroic actions. She is the second recipient of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce's (GGCC) award.

If it weren't for her — city officials and first responders said — Fakri's mother may not be alive today.

Earlier this year, Fakri's mother stopped breathing. Her daughter couldn't wake her up and called 9-1-1 for help. According to city officials, Fakri followed the dispatchers' instructions to seek help from a neighbor while emergency crews were on their way. She ran two doors down to Joe Chornock's house. Chornock is the Fire & Rescue Chief of the Germantown Volunteer Fire Department.

They bolted back to Fakri's home; and Chornock was able to revive her mother before first responders arrived.

"Not many six-year-olds would have been able to have remained so calm and so brave in a situation such as this. Children are taught to call 9-1-1 & to tell the dispatcher where they are calling from, but in reality, it is not as easy as it seems," said Chornock.

On Sept. 19, Fakri received the community award at the GGCC's annual membership picnic. She was also presented the Citation of Bravery.

"This was a phenomenal story & it was an honor to give her the award," said Marilyn Balcombe, president and CEO of GGCC.