Parental Lessons That Can Save Lives
Several weeks ago, we went through a much-too-close brush with the most terrifying nightmare of a parent - the loss of a child. Through luck and divine grace, we still have our two-year-old, Christopher (Topher), alive, well and happy. We came through this scare with a new appreciation for Topher, for our family and for the great service that our local emergency medical technicians and hospital personnel provide every day. We learned a few parental lessons the hard way, and wanted to share them in hopes that others in the community could learn from our experience.
Several weeks ago, our family was at a friend's house for a pool party in Bartlett. It was getting towards dinner, and there were about seven children in the pool, plus me. We ordered pizza, and the pizza deliveryman showed up at the edge of the fence to the pool. Topher had been playing around the steps coming into the pool. He had a life jacket on earlier in the day, but after we took him to go to the bathroom, he refused to put it back on (Parental lesson #1: Do not let your children dictate water safety. It may be hard to stand firm, but don’t be afraid to do so when it is in your child’s best interest).
Topher was playing on the steps and walking out on an underwater ledge that ran along the edge of the pool. I was in the pool playing catch with one of my other boys, and my wife and two other parents had been keeping a close eye on the pool and the children in it. When the pizza showed up, all of the adults that were not in the pool went to get money, and then all tried to be the one to pay for the pizza. (Parental lesson #2: Always have someone designated to watch the pool while young children are playing in it. Even a brief distraction is very dangerous). When they came back with the pizza, Nate (our nine-year-old) went to get out of the pool. He yelled, "Oh my God, Topher is under the water!" Nate pulled Topher up, and the adults helped pull Topher out of the pool. He wasn't breathing and his face was turning blue. My wife was screaming, "Call 911," and then, "Oh my God, my baby, my baby!" I got out of the pool and ran to him. Luckily, we had been talking about CPR about an hour before, and had talked through the ABCs (clear the airway, give breath, do compressions for circulation).
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I pumped on Topher's stomach three times, pushing out what seemed like a gallon of water. Then I gave him a breath, chest compressions, another breath. After two or three rounds of my rough attempt at CPR, he started to suck in air. We turned him on his side and he threw up about a gallon more water, and then started to cry. He was back! (Parental lesson #3: Be trained in CPR, and if that training is not up to date (I did my training over eight years ago) take the time to attend a refresher course. You can sign up for a CPR class through your local fire or police department, hospital, or the American Heart Association). We had expert, comforting and attentive service from the EMT team, the emergency room staff at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village, and later at St. Alexius in Hoffman Estates. Topher was awake and conversational by the time we got to the emergency room.
He stayed at the hospital overnight for observation, and was transferred by the great Air Angels team to St. Alexius to have the benefit of the Pediatrics ICU. He is still bragging about his helicopter ride. All of Topher’s tests came back fine: blood oxygen level and a clean chest x-ray (no water in his lungs). When the doctor came around the next morning, Topher was playing with trucks on the floor. The doctor said, "Is this the patient? He doesn't need to be in the hospital!" He proceeded to tell us how he normally finds a nearly drowned toddler in an ICU hospital bed, tethered to machines, intubated, non-responsive or worse. We realize that many parents are not as lucky as we were and our hearts and prayers go out to each of those parents – we realize how quickly events can change and affect our lives forever.
I want to express the thanks of my entire family to the first responders and all the hospital staff that worked so hard to make sure Topher was safe, healthy and well cared for. Topher is back to 100 percent, bugging his brothers and his parents as only a two-year old can do. We have a much stronger appreciation of the joy he brings into our lives, and sometimes my wife and I will stand at his bedroom door before we go to bed, just watching him sleep. We also realize that life can change in an instant, so we need to be vigilant, trained and ready to act in an emergency. Please get trained in CPR – it really can save lives!
Several weeks ago, our family was at a friend's house for a pool party in Bartlett. It was getting towards dinner, and there were about seven children in the pool, plus me. We ordered pizza, and the pizza deliveryman showed up at the edge of the fence to the pool. Topher had been playing around the steps coming into the pool. He had a life jacket on earlier in the day, but after we took him to go to the bathroom, he refused to put it back on (Parental lesson #1: Do not let your children dictate water safety. It may be hard to stand firm, but don’t be afraid to do so when it is in your child’s best interest).
Topher was playing on the steps and walking out on an underwater ledge that ran along the edge of the pool. I was in the pool playing catch with one of my other boys, and my wife and two other parents had been keeping a close eye on the pool and the children in it. When the pizza showed up, all of the adults that were not in the pool went to get money, and then all tried to be the one to pay for the pizza. (Parental lesson #2: Always have someone designated to watch the pool while young children are playing in it. Even a brief distraction is very dangerous). When they came back with the pizza, Nate (our nine-year-old) went to get out of the pool. He yelled, "Oh my God, Topher is under the water!" Nate pulled Topher up, and the adults helped pull Topher out of the pool. He wasn't breathing and his face was turning blue. My wife was screaming, "Call 911," and then, "Oh my God, my baby, my baby!" I got out of the pool and ran to him. Luckily, we had been talking about CPR about an hour before, and had talked through the ABCs (clear the airway, give breath, do compressions for circulation).
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I pumped on Topher's stomach three times, pushing out what seemed like a gallon of water. Then I gave him a breath, chest compressions, another breath. After two or three rounds of my rough attempt at CPR, he started to suck in air. We turned him on his side and he threw up about a gallon more water, and then started to cry. He was back! (Parental lesson #3: Be trained in CPR, and if that training is not up to date (I did my training over eight years ago) take the time to attend a refresher course. You can sign up for a CPR class through your local fire or police department, hospital, or the American Heart Association). We had expert, comforting and attentive service from the EMT team, the emergency room staff at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village, and later at St. Alexius in Hoffman Estates. Topher was awake and conversational by the time we got to the emergency room.
He stayed at the hospital overnight for observation, and was transferred by the great Air Angels team to St. Alexius to have the benefit of the Pediatrics ICU. He is still bragging about his helicopter ride. All of Topher’s tests came back fine: blood oxygen level and a clean chest x-ray (no water in his lungs). When the doctor came around the next morning, Topher was playing with trucks on the floor. The doctor said, "Is this the patient? He doesn't need to be in the hospital!" He proceeded to tell us how he normally finds a nearly drowned toddler in an ICU hospital bed, tethered to machines, intubated, non-responsive or worse. We realize that many parents are not as lucky as we were and our hearts and prayers go out to each of those parents – we realize how quickly events can change and affect our lives forever.
I want to express the thanks of my entire family to the first responders and all the hospital staff that worked so hard to make sure Topher was safe, healthy and well cared for. Topher is back to 100 percent, bugging his brothers and his parents as only a two-year old can do. We have a much stronger appreciation of the joy he brings into our lives, and sometimes my wife and I will stand at his bedroom door before we go to bed, just watching him sleep. We also realize that life can change in an instant, so we need to be vigilant, trained and ready to act in an emergency. Please get trained in CPR – it really can save lives!
Labels: child pool safety, cpr, emergency, parental lessons
posted by Pool Guard at
5:46 PM
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