dealing with it

An FRU and Two ambulances had turned up. they came in a took over from me. i watched whilst they started to treat him. lying on the floor in the doorway of the kitchen, one of the paramedics took me outside. i cried... i broke down in tears and i cuddled my sister... we both cried but they didn't, his wife and daughter... they seemed lost and confused! The ambulance crews seemed to take forever in there. I'm not sure how long they took... but they done their jobs, and they done their jobs well! 

27th august 2006 was the first time i had to administer "proper" first aid... i was 17 years old. at the time i did not have any first aid experience so it was literally me jumping right in at the deep end.

his (i will call him james for his privacy) youngest daughter (i will call her sarah) a girl i have grown up with all my life, living opposite each other and playing games down our street when we were younger with the rest of the kids. she came knocking at my door asking my sister if my mum was in... i was upstairs playing my xbox. my sister told sarah that my mum was not in at the moment, sarah broke down in tears and said that her dad was unconscious in their house and that they needed help. the reason they called for my mum is because she used to be a nurse, and she is also a close friend.

 i heard everything that was said and immediately i threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and ran across to their house in bare feet. (i don't remember what i was thinking... i think possibly it was adrenaline that was pushing me forward even though i had no formal first aid qualifications... just very basic first aid that i was taught at scouts "DR. ABC (now DRAB)" and basic life support "CPR") i got in there and Sarah's boyfriend was leaning over james trying to resuscitate him. i took over from him because he seemed unsure... i done my primary check (i remember not thinking about danger... possibly because its someone i have known my whole life or maybe is was ignorant to the fact and checking for danger is something you will learn to do after you have been caught out... who knows) there was no response i checked his breathing, he was not breathing so i commenced with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) i gave 12 rounds of CPR (i used 15:2, not the 30:2 we are supposed to use now) when the FRU arrived. he came in and told me to carry on whilst he set up his equipment.i had given another 1 or 2 rounds when i was asked to move away. at this point another crew had turned up and were walking through the hallway towards him. 

the whole time i was treating james my sister was standing behind me pushing me along telling me i was doing a great job and to keep going... she was such a strong person for me!!! she helped me through the whole thing!!! 

in the ambulance they managed to revive james and and get him breathing again... it was later when he was in hospital in intensive care that he passed away. i remember getting the phone call from my mum. i had gone out with my friend, he took me to a scrap yard to get something for his car. i didn't cry or feel any more sad when my mum told me, think that maybe to my self i knew he wasn't going to pull through.

i didn't once feel that i could have done more.i done everything i knew how to do... the fact james died was very very sad, but i did not feel disheartened or think that i could never do that again! i think it was this happening that drove me to join my St john ambulance division. 

he had died after suffering a massive heart attack they later found out. 

The thing that made me write this was a similar account happening with one of my friends from my division. she sadly also lost someone that she was treating, and hearing about her brought back old memories that i have spilt out onto here.

i would just like to say well done to anyone who has to perform any kind of life saving or life support treatment, whether you are a health care professional, a member of a voluntary first aid organization, or even just a member of the public! 

i just pray that there will someone round like your selves if myself or any of my family and friends ever find themselves in a situation where they need immediate medical attention!!!

this blog is in memory of the person who's cover name is james.