Tooele boy with autism helps save mom in labor
Friday, May 16, 2008 (18:12:05)

Posted by lightfoot

by: Erika Edberg

TOOELE, Utah (ABC 4 News) - An 11-year-old boy in Tooele will have an amazing story to tell his new baby sister when she gets a little older. Last week, he came to his mother's aid when she unexpectedly went into labor, and he may have saved baby Rachel's life.

It was April Fools Day at 11-year-old Craig Draper's house. As he was getting ready for school, his mom -- Michelle -- dropped to the floor, screaming in pain, and he knew this was no April Fools joke.

"I was making breakfast, listening to the radio, and the pains came really hard and strong," Michelle said.

She could barely move, much less call for help. And Craig, who has severe autism, doesn't communicate well. But he knew he'd have to muster the words to get help. He remembered a family friend named Liz Hamilton, five doors down, and went straight to her house.

"Craig came down and told me there's a bomb in the house,” Hamilton said. “’There's a bomb! There's a bomb!’ I said 'Tell me again what happened.' He said ‘There's a bomb, my mom's screaming!’ And I knew right then something was wrong."

"Suddenly my neighbor from down the street comes in asking me if I'm alright," Michelle said.

Michelle’s contractions were already just two minutes apart. Hamilton helped get Craig and his brother on the school bus and rushed Michelle to the hospital. Baby Rachel was born just minutes later. Hamilton says there's a lesson here. "Made me realize that these kids feel and see things that we don't understand and that in an emergency, they can function," she said.

While Craig is still difficult to understand, he's come a long way since starting in a special autism class at Stansbury Park Elementary School. Even his mom was surprised at how he stayed cool under pressure. And she's proud of him. "His ability to understand what was going on and respond in a more adult manner that most adults would have freaked out at," Draper said. She hopes it sends a message to all of us who are sometimes quick to judge. "Don't discredit a person just because you think they may or may not be a certain way."

Craig's teachers think this is a great sign of his progress, and it came at an appropriate time -- during National Autism Awareness Month. As for baby Rachel, she should be able to come home from the hospital by the end of the month. Despite being born eight weeks early, she is breathing on her own and responding well to her medications.

abc4.com