New CPR skills prevent tragedy
Grandmother just completes CPR course then saves grandson’s life
By THOMAS MICHALSKI
| Article published on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 |
|
 |
PINELLAS PARK - A local woman is singing the praises of CPR training.
The grandmother, who less than two hours before had completed a fire department-sponsored CPR course, was credited along with a Pinellas Park police officer on April 18 with saving the life of her 2-year-old grandson who was discovered on the bottom of the family swimming pool.
Fire officials said for all intents and purposes little Kevon Johnson of St. Petersburg was dead when he was pulled from the above-ground swimming pool.
His face was discolored and he was not breathing.
Susan Boiszert, fire department spokesperson, said the bizarre chain of events began about 9 a.m. when Denise Smith, 48, attended the CPR life saving course at Fire Station 35 at 11350 43rd St.
The class ended about 1 p.m. and Smith went home where adults and children were already enjoying a birthday party for another child, Noah, 7, who is Kevon’s brother.
Smith said five children were in the pool at about 1:45 p.m. when they began complaining about getting cold. She said as they were getting out of the pool the small raft that Kevon was on flipped over. No one noticed as he fell into the water.
“He could not have been under the water for more than a minute or two,” Smith said. “He would have suffered brain damage if it was longer.” Kevon’s mother, Valerie, jumped into the water and brought the child to the surface. Smith then immediately started performing CPR.
“He (Kevon) was blue around the mouth,” Smith said. “They said that he was clinically dead.”
It was theorized that no one heard Kevon’s cries when he fell into the water because of the noise the other children were making as they were leaving the pool.
Smith said as she performed CPR the youngster’s heart began beating.
Meanwhile, someone called 911 and the boy’s mother, Valerie, ran outside the house to meet emergency responders. That’s when she spotted police officer Pattie Fiedler who was on routine patrol. Fiedler heard the mother’s screams and immediately went to the home and found Smith performing CPR on the baby.
Boiszert said Smith knew exactly what to do, having just finished a class that taught her the procedures less than two hours before. She cleared the child’s airway and began performing chest compressions and giving mouth to mouth resuscitation.
“I just kept on thinking 30 and 2, 30 and 2,” Smith said. “I kept on saying it out loud again and again ... “
Thirty and 2 means 30 compressions and two breaths of air that are recommended during life saving procedures.
“It can happen so fast,” Smith said of the near tragedy. “It only takes a split second.”
Fielder took over the lifesaving procedure for the exhausted Smith. Kevon was breathing on his own by the time fire rescue personnel arrived. Ryan Mitchell, an EMS/firefighter, performed advanced life support on little Kevon just before he was rushed to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.
The child survived the ordeal with a slightly swollen brain and is recuperating at home.
“I was about a block away,” Fielder recalled. “When I got to the house the grandmother already had the situation under control.”
Fielder is glad that the child survived the near tragedy.
“I’m happy that he is going to be OK,” Fielder said.
The fire department will present Fielder with a commendation for her part in the life-saving efforts.
It is not Fielder’s first brush with saving a life. Not long ago she was one of the officers who helped a suicidal and armed man who had barricaded himself in an apartment.
Smith, meanwhile, said she has taken the fire department’s CPR course before because it is ever changing. She recommends that everyone take the course.
“It changes all the time,” Smith said of the emergency procedures. “The procedures are updated and it is important to keep up with those changes.”
Smith credits the fire department’s CPR course for saving Kevon’s life.
“I didn’t save his life,” she said, “my CPR training from the fire department did.”
|
Article published on Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved. |
