Cumberland Hill Fire Chief Richard A. Susi, left, presents Skylynn Gray, 8, a second-grader at the John J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill Elementary School, with a hat and T-shirt from Sparky's Team Station 4, as well as a fire chief’s hat — just a few of the mementos she received while on a tour of the Cumberland Hill Station Tuesday. Gray was awarded certificates of appreciation from the chief and from Cumberland Rescue Director Greg Noury during a surprise presentation on a day she was recognized for her heroic efforts on behalf of her mother, who suffers from epilepsy. Call Photo/Ernest A. Brown

Local girl honored for getting help to epileptic mother

By SANDY McGEE

CUMBERLAND — At only 8 years old, Skylynn Gray has acted “like an adult” during more than one emergency situation, according to officials of the Cumberland Hill Fire Department.

Gray, a second-grader at J.J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill Elementary School, has dialed 911 at least five to six times in the past year when her mother has experienced an epileptic seizure.
“I have epilepsy and Skylynn takes care of me completely when it (a seizure) happens,” said Christina Gray, Skylynn’s mother. “She (Skylynn) calls 911. She’s very calm. She doesn’t get nervous. She’s absolutely wonderful.”
“This young girl really acts like an adult when this happens,” said Richard A. Susi, chief of the Cumberland Hill Fire Department. “It’s frequently just her and her mother at home. This girl is taking care of her mother. She does what she’s been taught to do. It’s something very adult like.”
Christina Gray was diagnosed with epilepsy, an incurable neurological disease, eight years ago. She is prone to occasional seizures as a condition of the disease, she said. The seizures cause her to become unconscious and at risk to injuries.
“She (Skylynn) takes care of me,” Gray said. “She gets me to the floor and makes sure I don’t hurt myself. There have been times when I’ve woken up and she’s sleeping next to me. She’s a phenomenal little girl. I feel very safe that she’s by my side.”
The Cumberland Hill Fire Department, Station 4, and Cumberland Rescue Service recognized Skylynn’s acts of emergency response during an official ceremony held Tuesday afternoon at the Cumberland Hill Fire Station on Mendon Road.
“We honored her for her service to her mother, which was above and beyond,” said Susi, who presided at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Cumberland Rescue Service Director Gregg Noury presented Skylynn with a certificate for her efforts. She also received an award from the fire chief.
“It’s cool (to be honored),” said Skylynn. “They gave me a lot of things: coloring books, hats and a T-shirt. It was really nice.”
Besides calling the emergency service, Skylynn goes above and beyond the call of duty, according to her mother.
“She also calms my family down,” said Christina Gray. “My family gets very nervous. She talks to them and calms them down. She just jumps into super mode.”
Skylynn has also been honored as an Alan Shawn Feinstein scholar, according to her mother. 
“I’m just so proud of her,” Gray said. “She’s gone through so much. She’s a hero, definitely.”
The young rescuer is planning to care for the health of animals later in life. “I want to become a veterinarian, because I love animals,” Skylynn said.
Both Christina and Skylynn Gray have been residents of Cumberland for four years. Christina Gray works as a schedule coordinator for Nursing Placement on Nate Whipple Highway.