Last February, Christine Morin gave her son Louis a piece of apple to teeth on, hoping it would sooth his sore gums. Instead, he choked and the apple completely blocked his airway. He didn’t cough, didn’t spit up, didn’t breathe, nor did he cry. Nothing was happening. He turned red, and then blue, his eyes started to bulge. Thankfully, Christine is a first aid instructor for the Canadian Red Cross and knew just what to do.
After calling 911, she put her skills into practice and started a technique for clearing Louis’ airway. “I immediately began the technique – body tilted forward, face down…the morsel didn’t just pop out – it took a long time!”
Louis, barely breathing, finally began to vomit and spit up. Medical personnel soon arrived and congratulated Christine on her quick intervention.
Christine is well aware that her training helped her save her son’s life. As soon as they returned home, she emailed all her friends who have children to tell them her story. “I thought it might motivate other parents to take first aid courses. I honestly wonder if I would have known what to do without my Canadian Red Cross first aid courses,” she says.
Make a difference
First aid and CPR skills are often all that stands between individuals and potentially life-altering situations. While you can never know for certain when an emergency will strike, having the knowledge and confidence needed to act through first aid and CPR training can make a major difference.