THORNTON, Colo. -- A 4-year-old boy was honored Tuesday for saving his mother's life by calling 911 when she collapsed while making him lunch.

Tapes released Tuesday show Thomas "TJ" Roller calling 911 on Feb. 18 and telling the dispatcher, "My Mommy's sick. Can you please come over here? ... Can you pick her up?"

(Hear Entire 911 Call From 4-Year-Old Boy)

Adams County emergency operator Jason Vigil asked TJ to check if his mother was breathing, and to roll her on her back. After he answered a few questions, the boy politely asked him to come over again.

"She's on the floor ... She's on her stomach ... She dropped her food," TJ said in response to Vigil's questions. TJ said his mommy couldn't speak and that, "I'm a kid."

"She told me whenever she gets sick ... call 991," TJ said. He may have misspoke, but fortunately, he dialed correctly.

The dispatcher said TJ was "unusually calm" as he answered all the questions, relaying enough information so paramedics could be summoned to his Thornton home.

On Tuesday, TJ met with the dispatcher and emergency responders who arrived at his home to help his mother, Jennifer Roller. Firefighters gave him a teddy bear and took him for a ride on the fire truck as a way to celebrate and honor his calm yet quick actions.

Roller has fully recovered, but firefighters did not release the medical condition that prompted them to go to her home. She said she has a chronic medical condition and had taught TJ to call 911 in an emergency. Earlier that day, when she wasn't feeling well and felt a seizure coming on, Roller reminded her son what to do.

"He's my little hero," Roller said. "I thank him every day."

She told reporters that she gave life to TJ and now she feels like she owes him her own life.

Paramedics said if TJ hadn't made the call, Roller could have died. Vigil said he wished all of his callers were as calm and direct as TJ. Dispatchers automatically received the address to his home because the TJ called on a land line.

Thornton Fire Chief John Staley said TJ's actions remind parents about why it's important to teach children to dial 911 in an emergency.

"Teach their children what to say when they call 911 and what information like address, problem and the need -- in other words, fire, police or ambulance," said Staley. "I'm humbled by a 4-year-old who was very successful in doing that."

Firefighters also regularly visit preschools and elementary classes to teach these skills to kids, Staley said.