‘He’s Dying! He Can’t Breathe!’ 911 Dispatcher Risks His Job To Save The Life Of A Toddler.
“Without some sort of life-saving measures, the child would expire. I wasn’t gonna let that happen..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JS2WkNfWE
A 911 dispatcher in Galax, Virginia went above and beyond this week, breaking the hard and fast rules in his department in order to make sure a toddler’s family was able to give their son the proper care in time to save his life.
17-month-old Aidan Walker had been feeling a little under the weather and was taking a nap with his grandmother Cheri Grable. His mother Melissa Grable was out getting more medicine. When suddenly, “He’s dying! He can’t breathe!”
“I scooped him up in my arms, at that point he was lifeless. And I yelled out to her dial 911, dial 911, dial it now!” said Aidan’s Grandmother Cheri Grable.
Dispatcher Tim Webb took the call and while he’d informed paramedics of the situation and they were on their way, it was going to take twenty minutes for them to arrive on the scene. So, he began instructing the family on how to perform CPR on the child in order to “breathe for him.”
“Without some sort of life-saving measures, the child would expire. I wasn’t gonna let that happen, even if it meant being reprimanded.” said Galax Police Department Dispatcher Tim Webb.
Webb personally knew CPR but he didn’t have an emergency medical dispatch certification which means that he wasn’t allowed to help administer medical aid.
He did it anyway.
As a result, the family was able to keep oxygen moving to the boy’s brain until the ambulance finally arrived. For putting little Aidan’s life ahead of his own livelihood, the family was amazingly grateful.
That’s why a couple weeks later.. they made the trip to the galax police department to say thank you by showing him this smiling face.
“It makes you realize why you get up, why you come to work, and why you do what you do.” said Galax Police Department Dispatcher Tim Webb.