Many people are praising a toddler for her bravery after she saved her dad during a medical emergency. Some people, however, are also worried about her. In a video shared on social media, Ymman Demegillo’s 2-year-old daughter, Zab, came to his rescue when he was experiencing a hypoglycemic attack.
Amazingly, the toddler seemed to know exactly what to do in the scary situation – which made some people worry she’s being exposed to too much trauma at her age.
The video shows Zab getting glucose tablets for her dad.
On TikTok, the dad shared the footage of his toddler helping him during a low blood sugar episode. At the beginning of the clip, Zab starts screaming for her dad when she notices what was happening. After trying to wake him up, she goes into the living room and grabs her dad’s glucose tablets. She appears calm as she brings the tablets to her dad and “made (him) chew them.”
Her incredible response was ‘shaped by what she sees every day.’
@zabbiieeee @Ymmanuel Demegillo She’s only 2 years old, but she already knows how to help her daddy during a low blood sugar episode. Without being told, she grabbed my glucose tablets and made me chew them—concerned, focused, and so full of love. She even reminded herself at the end of the video – “When daddy is hypo, give chocolate and sweets” 🥹 Watching her respond like that took my breath away. This tiny human is growing up with such empathy and strength, shaped by what she sees every day. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. Moments like this remind us: kids are always watching, always learning, and sometimes, they become our little heroes. Thank you God for the gift of Zab. #ToddlerHero #Type1Diabetes #HypoglycemiaAwareness #ParentingMoments #StrengthInSmallPackages #RealLifeSuperhero #fyp #foryoupage❤️❤️ #tiktokphilippines #pinoytiktok #viralvideos ♬ Softly Touching – Mellow
Zab’s parents were amazed by how she dealt with the medical emergency. “Watching her respond like that took my breath away,” the dad wrote on TikTok. He explained that his daughter knew what to do “without being told.”
Though the experience was surely scary, Zab was “concerned, focused, and so full of love,” the proud dad noted. He said the toddler reminded herself: “When daddy is hypo, give chocolate and sweets.”
In the caption on TikTok, the dad suggested that his daughter learned how to respond through observation. “This tiny human is growing up with such empathy and strength, shaped by what she sees every day,” he wrote. “It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. Moments like this remind us: kids are always watching, always learning, and sometimes, they become our little heroes.”
Reactions were mixed.
Many praised the toddler for knowing exactly what to do and acting so calm. “As a kid of a diabetic parent…what a champ!!” one person commented on the video. “I still freeze when I need to help my dad and I’m an adult. Good for you little one!”
Another person wrote, “Just shows how resilient kids are!! What an amazing child & kudos for parents showing … what to do in an emergency.”
A third person who was amazed by the 2-year-old wrote, “not all heroes wear capes, sometimes they wear diapers.”
Others were far more critical, however. One person commented that it was “heartbreaking to see a child endure such a stress at this little age.”
“Oh my god that poor child. You see a blessing, we see core memory trauma,” a second critic wrote. “Amazing that she could get the glucose but way too much pressure on a 2 year old. You need a hypo alarm. Not a toddler.”
The dad made another video addressing the criticism.
@zabbiieeee @Ymmanuel Demegillo Taking a moment to respond with kindness and perspective. No child is ever responsible for a parent’s health. Let’s be more mindful with our words. In this video, I’m responding to comments that falsely claim that we placed too much responsibility on a child for her father’s health. That couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s easy to misunderstand situations from a viral clip — but before passing judgment, take a moment to hear the full story. Watch with an open heart before you assume. Let’s lead with understanding, not blame. #StopTheBlame #ParentingWithCare #ProtectOurKids #ContextMatters #ChooseCompassion #WatchBeforeYouJudge #growwithzab #foryoupage❤️❤️ #fyp #HypoglycemiaAwareness #ParentingMoments #Type1Diabetes #ParentingMoments ♬ original sound – Grow with Zab ✨
Many people who watched the video defended the parents in the comments, arguing that the dad can’t help the fact that he has a medical condition. Because of all the backlash, the dad also made another video and explained that he and his partner are “not putting the sole responsibility on her tiny shoulders.”
“To all the people saying, ‘She’s only 2 – why is she responsible for saving her dad?’ Let’s clear this up with a little love,” Ymman shares in the followup clip. “She’s not responsible for saving anyone…Her biggest responsibility is deciding which stuffed animal gets tucked into bed first.”
He goes on to explain that he and his partner are simply “teaching her little things that could help in an emergency.” They are not doing this because they “expect her to be a hero,” he clarifies. Instead, it’s because they “believe that even tiny hands can do big things when they feel safe, loved, and prepared.”
He adds that the knowledge they’ve shared with their daughter is age-appropriate. “We’re just showing her, gently and age-appropriately, how to call for help or grab something if daddy doesn’t feel well,” he explains in the video.
