NORMAN — Several months ago, I attended a cardiopulmonary resuscitation class at Norman Regional Hospital. I've said before it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I haven't had to use it yet, and I hope I never do. At the same time, I'm glad I have the training to help someone if I need to.
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With Baby Safety month coming up in September, I thought I'd share an e-mail I received from Norman resident Frankie Walters. Walters said CPR saved her daughter's life several years ago, before 911 emergency services were available where she lived.
"For some unknown reason, I checked on my sleeping 6-week-old daughter and discovered she wasn't breathing. I immediately picked her up, ripped open her one-piece sleeper and began CPR,” Walters wrote. "I sent my 4-year-old son to retrieve a neighbor who was a nurse. In the meantime, my daughter began to breathe and I called the police. I was thankful I had posted the fire department and police station emergency numbers near the kitchen telephone.”
Like many young moms, Walters had not taken a CPR class. The only training she had was something she saw repeatedly on television.
"Many mornings, my two young sons watched cartoons on television. Before the cartoon program began, an adult demonstrated how to administer CPR on an adult and a small child. I had subconsciously watched the CPR demonstrations so many times I was able to recall and use the step-by-step process to save my infant daughter's life,” she wrote. "Also, I believe God's presence calmed and helped me each step of the way.”
Walters said if she hadn't walked into her room and administered CPR, her daughter could have been a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She and the daughter whose life she saved both think CPR training should be included in prenatal classes. I agree.
"Unfortunately, we never learned what caused my infant daughter to stop breathing. She experienced a few more breathing episodes but none required CPR or hospitalization,” she wrote. "Some doctors speculated that she may have had underdeveloped throat muscles that closed during sleep.”
If you haven't taken a CPR class or it's been a while since you took a class, why not sign up for one now?
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More Info
Learn CPR
•Norman Regional Health Systems — The next infant/child CPR class will be 6:30 p.m. Friday. Another class will be offered Sept. 26. For more information or to sign up, call 440-8802.
•The American Red Cross Heart of Oklahoma Chapter — For information or a class schedule, call 321-0591 or go to www.archeartofok.org.
•Cleveland County Family YMCA — Members. For information, call 364-9622 or go to www.ymcanorman.org.
•For more information on SIDS prevention, go to www.firstcandle.org or www.sidsprevention.com.
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Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.