Here's How Technology Helped One Nine-Year-Old Save Her Parents Lives After Exposure To Carbon Monoxide

Technology just helped save Jayline Barbosa Brandão and her family’s lives.

According to PEOPLE, nine-year-old Jayline Barbosa Brandão quickly sprang into action after realizing that her parents were in need of immediate help due to exposure to carbon monoxide.

“I heard my dad screaming and saw my mom passed out,” she told WFXT during an interview.

Brandão was quick with her actions and grabbed her father’s phone to call for help, but soon realized that the iPhone was locked. Without breaking a sweat, she held the phone up to her father’s face, thanks to Apple’s Face ID feature, and was then able to call 9-1-1.

“She was so smart,” said her mother, Marcelina Brandão. “If it wasn’t [for] her to call right away, I don’t know what would have happened.”

At the time of the incident, the family home was without power for three days after a recent storm in Brockton, MA, which led them to use a generator for electricity. Originally, the generator was outside near a back door, where it ran for a short period of time. However, it was when the generator was brought inside that caused the exposure to carbon monoxide.

When the Brockton Fire Department arrived the carbon monoxide levels were at 1,000 per million inside. Chief Brian Nardelli told CNN that this was a very dangerous level. Per the Consumer Products Safety Commission, when sustained carbon monoxide concentrations are above 150 and 220 ppm, they can lead to “disorientation, unconsciousness, and death.”

“I thought it was just a headache, then 2-3 minutes, I didn’t feel anything after that,” Marcelina continued during the interview.

Marcelina and her husband were the only two out of five family members inside of the house that suffered serious symptoms. Jayline Barbosa Brandão, her seven-year-old sister, and Marcelina’s mother all made it out of the house without any complications.

Now, the family notes that they are aware that both locations for their generators were unsafe. Per the National Weather Service, the devices should always be used 20 feet from doors, windows and vents.