New Haven Independent

Since she was an infant, Shayla has been living with her grandmother, Marian White. White is one of many grandparents in New Haven taking care of children whose own parents no longer could.

On Thursday morning Shayla and White came to the probate court at 200 Orange St. so Shayla could receive an award for saving her grandma’s life.

The incident occurred one Sunday morning this past August in their Hilltop Road home. Shayla discovered White lying in vomit. She was scared. But she remembered her grandma had told her what to do in an emergency: stay calm, and call a neighbor. Shayla called the neighbor, Regina Crockett, who then called an ambulance.

Click here to watch White recount what happened, and talk about how she feels about Shayla. (Please allow the video a moment to load.)

Shayla spent three days with Crockett while White recovered in the hospital from what turned out to be a seizure.

Thursday’s event was organized by Emma Jones, who runs the Kinship Fund out of the probate court. The fund raises money to help grandparents and other guardians of children no longer living with their parents. It arranges for the children to get, say, computers or karate lessons. Jones was familiar with Shayla’s family through the program; it has paid for Shayla to take ballet lessons.

Shayla attends Barnard School. Click on the play arrow to watch Shayla, sitting in the chair of Probate Judge Jack Keyes, discuss what she likes about school, what she wants to do later in life, and how she celebrated her grandmother’s return from the hospital. (Please allow the video a moment to load.)

“This is an example for grandparents to teach their kids what to do” in an emergency, Emma Jones (pictured) said. “Most kids have no idea what to do.”