11-Year-Old Leaps Into Driver's Seat In Order To Take Ill Grandma To Safety

Sep 17, 2020

PJ Brewer-Laye, 11, was enjoying a typical day with his grandmother Angela Brewer-Laye earlier this year. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he and his grandma were about a mile and a half away from their home.

They were out for a stroll in their Indianapolis neighborhood, enjoying a beautiful day together. When they started out that day, neither had any idea that by the end of their adventure, PJ would be dubbed a local hero and then go viral online for his feat of heroism as he drove his grandmother's car to get her to medical help.

Low blood pressure is a sometimes life-threatening condition that affects millions of Americans every year. Symptoms include a feeling of shakiness, shallow breathing, and a weak and rapid pulse, as described by the world-famous Mayo Clinic. Both PJ and Angela were alarmed when those symptoms appeared, but Angela had an angel on her side that day, as PJ quickly assumed the role of hero.

PJ abandoned his go-kart fun and decided to take matters into his own hands to help his grandma. She explains, "I was leaning against a stop sign then all of a sudden I looked to my right and I saw my car, my Mercedes-Benz coming towards me. Wait a minute. Looked in the car. It was him, it was PJ." Her interview with 11Alive has since made the rounds of social media and given the whole world one of its biggest "aw" moments this year.

What was PJ's plan? He was returning to their home and recovering all of the things that might help his grandma overcome her bout of low blood pressure. He knew the two needed to reach the house where she could grab the routine medical supplies that she uses for situations like this. What's more shocking about this is that this 11-year-old (at the time) was able to safely deliver both of them back home and aid his grandma in taking care of her medical emergency.

How'd this little one learn to drive like a champ? He learned from the best: Angela's husband. According to 11Alive, he taught PJ how to safely move vehicles in the yard. While PJ has never driven vehicles on a street before, he has become quite the little driver in his short life. He owns go-carts, dirt bikes, and even a nifty four-wheeler. His grandma never knew, though, that his expertise with vehicles would one day land him behind the wheel of her Mercedes-Benz.

"This child is only 11 years old," she said. That didn't stop him from driving her car like a "pro," though. Now that both of them are safe and sound, the bond between grandmother and grandson only continues to grow stronger every day. She might even have him to thank for her life. The ride home was short, but it was by no means an easy one for a boy of just 11.

"He did not go up the curb, in the grass or nothing. Pulled down in the driveway and into the garage," said Angela. It's no wonder, then, that the news of PJ's heroic ride quickly spread across the Internet and touched the hearts of everyone who heard the story. It was also quickly passed around the typical social media sites.

Be sure to discuss this story in the comments and make sure that you send it to someone who needs to hear a bit of cheery news today. Grandmothers, grandsons, and even casual readers love to hear stories of people doing good, and nothing is quite as touching as an 11-year-old boy who drove a car to protect his grandmother. And don't forget to let us know what you think about this heroic 11-year-old.