alyssa meza
A 9-year-old girl helped deliver her baby sister after her mother went into labor in their Chicago home this week. WLS

A 9-year-old girl may never be the same after she helped deliver her baby sister this week.

Alyssa Meza of Chicago sprung into action after her mother went into labor at their home. She helped deliver her baby sister, Aaliyah, and remove the umbilical cord that was wrapped around the newborn’s head, WLS reports.

"She said she felt the baby coming out, and I told her to push the baby out and I'll catch the baby. She got scared. And I catched the baby, grabbed the towel and wrapped her around," Meza said.

Meza credits a medical TV show she watched for understanding what to do next. "The umbilical cord was actually around the baby. It was like two around. So I had to unwrap it a little and I ran next door to grab my neighbor because the baby was a little purple," Meza said.

Meza then alerted her neighbor, who called 911. Meza’s aunt arrived soon after. "The firefighters, they said, 'Your niece delivered the baby.' I was like 'No, she didn't,'" Samantha Meza said.

Both baby Aaliyah and mother, Monique Meza, are doing well and returned home on New Year’s Day.

"I expected it from her, but not as much maturity that she has shown me, at her age, very mature. I know she has a bright future ahead of her, and I am very, very proud of her," Monique Meza said.

This isn’t the first time a sibling has assisted with childbirth. In 2011, an 8-year-old Oklahoma City boy helped his mother deliver his younger brother.

Kimberly Tennyson went into labor at 2 a.m. With only her son to help and no time to call 911, Tennyson called her grandmother, who talked her through labor over the phone. Her son was born 15 minutes later.

"He did everything, he didn't panic," Tennyson told KABC about her son, Demarray. "In a time of need, that type of situation, having a baby at home with your kids, especially an 8-year-old, it tells a lot."