Prompt administration of CPR saved this child from permanent brain injury
Bobby McDonald
Longville, Louisiana
December 23, 1997
EVENT: On December 23, 1997, Bobby McDonald, Area Foreman at Longville, Louisiana, received a telephone call at 6:00 am from his brother-in-law who lived next door. Bobby's brother-in-law asked him to come over and take care of his three-year-old. His eleven-year-old son, Coby, was not feeling well and needed to be taken to the hospital. Bobby quickly got dressed and walked over.
As Bobby approached the house, his brother-in-law ran out to meet Bobby and reported that Coby was going in and out of consciousness and that 911 had been called.
Bobby quickly entered the house and observed his sister-in-law sitting on a couch holding Coby in her lap. Bobby told his sister-in-law to lay Coby on the floor so he could evaluate his condition. After he was placed on the floor, Bobby quickly checked his vital signs and determined that Coby was not breathing. Bobby immediately began pulmonary resuscitation. He evaluated Coby again. Coby's heart had stopped. Bobby responded by providing Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation for several minutes until emergency personnel arrived.
Bobby assisted the medical personnel by continuing to provide chest compressions while oxygen was administered to Coby. The medical personnel had to electrically restart Coby's heart twice before transporting him to the hospital.
Coby was taken to the Franklin, Louisiana Hospital where tests confirmed that bleeding in the brain area had caused his body functions to stop. Coby was life-flighted to Lafayette General Hospital where additional tests diagnosed a problem that resulted in surgery successfully being completed January 20, 1998.
After Coby had been hospitalized in Lafayette for over two weeks, the treating Neurosurgeon informed the family that the "reason Coby wasn't showing any indication of damage to his motor skills was because CPR was started very promptly."
"Coby being ill made this a pretty bad holiday season", Bobby reported, "but, this was also a great holiday season, because the company had provided training that enabled me to respond quickly and confidently to help my nephew."
Bobby also said, "I really want to thank the company for providing MEDIC FIRST AID Training as we never know when that training might be needed."
