Eight-year-old Ryan Crosby was struggling with his math homework one evening while sitting alone at home. The house was unusually quiet, and his confusion over the problems left him feeling overwhelmed. Remembering his mother’s advice—“If you ever need help, don’t be scared to call 911”—Ryan picked up the phone and dialed. When the dispatcher answered, Ryan calmly said he needed help with his math homework. Initially thinking it was a prank, the dispatcher quickly realized something was off when Ryan added, “I wouldn’t have called if my mom was home.” Concerned, she asked if there was another adult present. Ryan said no—he was alone, and it was almost 10 p.m. The dispatcher traced the call and sent officers to the house, where they found Ryan alone, with no sign of his mother, Matilda Crosby. After learning she hadn’t returned home since the morning, authorities began a search. Using the last signal from Matilda’s phone, they narrowed the area to the outskirts of town. A K9 unit was brought in, and the dog eventually led them to a car parked along a remote road. Inside, they found Matilda unconscious. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors determined she had passed out from heat exhaustion. Her phone had died, and she had been stranded for hours. Thanks to Ryan’s quick thinking and brave call, his mother was rescued in time. Later that night, they were reunited, and Ryan became a local hero—not for solving his math problem, but for saving his mother’s life