January 23, 2012 by OnStar

Through an Advisor’s Eyes: When a Baby Stopped Breathing

Connections asked OnStar Advisor Heathere Irwin to tell us about her most dramatic call for help. Heathere has been an OnStar Emergency Advisor for more than two and a half years.

I was the second Advisor on the EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatch) call. That means that while the Advisor who answers the call is contacting first responders and updating them about the condition of those in need, I’m asking the caller a series of questions to better assess the situation and provide interim help until the first responders arrive at the scene.

This one really affected me because it was a new mother frantically calling for help because her 3-month-old baby was having trouble breathing. Then to make the situation even more critical, the baby stopped breathing during the call. You always want to do the best you can on every call that comes in, but I couldn’t stop thinking of how helpless that mother felt. A 3-month-old baby is just so tiny. I’m a mom myself and my adrenaline really kicked in on that one.

I was giving CPR instructions over the phone and the mother was relaying them to someone else who was performing CPR on the infant outside the car. Early on, something the mother said made me realize the person doing CPR was using their entire hand. I quickly told her to tell the person that only the first two fingers should be used to perform compressions on an infant.

Soon after, first responders arrived and took the baby to the hospital. The young mom thanked me before she rushed off, and I wished her and her baby well. I was as calm as could be during the call, doing everything I could to help that mother and baby, but after I hung up, I had to stop and take a break. Most calls, I can let go. But this one was really hard. I have three kids of my own and I just kept thinking of that helpless baby and that desperate mother.

We don’t get any follow-up after a call so I don’t know what happened to the baby. But that’s part of the job. There’s always another call, another person who needs our help, and it gives me a good feeling to be able to provide that help. What I do is very fulfilling because when I go home, I know I’ve helped someone that day. I really love my job.

Not everyone knows how to do CPR, especially on an infant. How prepared are you for an emergency? Tell us in the comments below.

Email

Other Posts That You May Like:

1. First Assist Helps Save Lives
2. Behind the Scenes with OnStar Advisors
3. OnStar Emergency Advisors Certified to Provide Emergency Medical Advice

Tags: Advisor, Emergency Advisor