It's the kind of heroic story that movies are made after. Seeking help when a mother and unborn sister are in danger is quite a feat for any child, but for one 11-year-old Tooele boy, it was especially exceptional -- and quite unexpected.

Craig Draper was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old. He can't communicate very well and people often have difficulty understanding him. Craig attends a specialized autism class at Stansbury Elementary School, which was created at the start of the 2007-08 school year. The class teaches students like him how to improve their communication skills. Now, it looks like those lessons have proven successful.

On April 1, Craig's mother Michelle went into labor eight weeks early. Two days prior, unbeknownst to her, her water had broken. Tuesday morning, as she was making breakfast and getting Craig and his 8-year-old brother Nathan ready for school, she began experiencing intense labor pains. Nathan, who also has autism and attends the autism class for half the day, began to cry as he heard his mother yelling out in pain. But Craig immediately sprung into action.

"When this happened, the first thing that went off in his head was 'I've got to do something,'" Michelle's husband Craig said. "Rather than crying or doing whatever a kid with autism might do, he immediately went out the door and down the street to the neighbor's."

It was there that Craig communicated to Liz Hamilton, who lives about five houses away, that his mom needed help.

Hamilton said, "Craig said 'there's a bomb at the house,' and I said 'what house?' and he said 'there's a bomb.' Then he said 'my mom is screaming' and right then I knew."

Hamilton knew Michelle was pregnant, so when Craig told her his mom was screaming, she quickly went to the Draper's home, and sure enough, Michelle was in labor.

"We barely made it down to the hospital," Hamilton said.

Hamilton took Michelle to Mountain West Medical Center where Rachel Ann Draper was born at 3 pounds 10 ounces.

After the baby girl was born, she was flown to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, where she is currently being cared for and will be for about a month.

"He may have saved his baby sister's life and his mom's life too," Craig Sr. said. "We don't know the worst because it didn't happen."

He credits his son's ability to communicate and get help to the teachers of both of his sons' autism class, as well as to Xenia Young, the principal at Stansbury Elementary School.

"A year ago his communication skills just weren't there," he said. "Since he has been in that class, he has just soared."

Jenni Hitesman and Michale Berryhill teach the class and Hitesman said they've been working really hard on speech therapy this year.

"I believe if this had happened a year ago, I wouldn't have understood what Craig was saying," Hamilton said. "I think that this school has a lot to do with what Craig was able to say and express that his mom was in trouble."

While Craig may not fully understand the magnitude of what he did, his family, neighbor and teachers certainly do.

"I'm extremely proud of him," Michelle said. "Up until that moment, we didn't know he could do that. It's not just parental pride that he was able to help his mommy, but that he was developmentally able to do that."

Craig Sr. said while Craig now calls his newborn sister Rachel, he had been calling her "Craig's baby" because he feels that much responsibility toward her.

"I could've lost my baby daughter and my wife," Craig Sr. said. "It's just unbelievable what he did. Every time I think about it I almost start to cry."

Michelle said the song that was playing on the radio when her intense labor pains began was "I Saw God Today" by George Strait. The song is about a baby girl being born.

"That song will be stuck in my head forever," Michelle said.

swest@tooeletranscript.com