A brave young boy from Georgia was celebrated for his quick thinking and courage after steering a car to safety when his grandfather lost consciousness during a drive on a busy highway.
Hugh Cox, who has Type 1 diabetes, was driving his Ford Expedition SUV and towing a boat with his 10-year-old grandson, Drake, when he fell into a diabetic coma on Interstate 75 near Resaca, Georgia.
Cox recalled the last moment before his blackout: “The last thing I remember, I drifted over and we was in the right lane. I drifted over [from] the center lane [and there was a] truck blowing at me.”
Drake’s mother, Jessica Linn, who received a call from her son during the ordeal, immediately recognized the symptoms. She knew that her father’s blood sugar levels had dropped too low, causing him to become unresponsive.
“His eyes were open but he was basically paralyzed. And what my dad does is, he kind of just freezes. It’s like a lockdown,” Linn explained. Her father’s glucose monitoring transmitter had apparently failed.
A Mother’s Guidance Amid Crisis
During the nerve-wracking phone call, Jessica had to guide her son through the process to ensure their safety.
“Drake and my dad were at a place where the phone call was starting to drop. So I said, ‘Drake, you’re gonna have to get on Papa’s lap … and I want you to get the steering wheel, and I want you to slowly try to drive it to the shoulder,’” she advised. “And I said, ‘I want you to put your foot slowly on the brake and try to just get it off the interstate.’”
The anguish in Jessica’s voice is still evident as she recalls the terrifying incident. “That was a really tough position to be in, but at the same time, it was his only choice. I thought it might be the last time that I ever heard his voice, and there was nothing I could do,” she admitted.
A Young Hero’s Brave Actions
Despite his fear, Drake followed his mom’s instructions and also called 911.
