CPR skills crucial for Connor
When her toddler started choking on a piece of sausage, the terrifying car ride to the hospital that followed proved to Marian Carpenter just how important knowing cardiopulmonary resuscitation was.
The mother-of-two said it was while on the way to Kununurra District Hospital that her brain "kicked into action" as she delivered CPR to her two-year-old son Connor.
"We were on the back seat of the car and Barry was driving, it was probably only about three minutes from when he choked to when we got to the hospital," she said.
"That CPR bought him the time until we got there and they put him straight into the resuscitation room."
It two weeks ago when the family sat down to Sunday dinner after a day swimming at the local pool and the bubbly toddler gulped in a piece of sausage that obstructed one lung.
Mrs Carpenter said once at the hospital Connor "seemed okay for a while" but soon went downhill and about 11pm he had a tube inserted into his good lung.
The tube soon shifted to the obstructed lung and when the Royal Flying Doctor Service arrived at about 4am Connor was having trouble breathing.
"The first hour on the plane wasn't good. The doctor moved the tube and he improved a lot from there," Mrs Carpenter said.
The family arrived at Princess Margaret Hospital and were put into theatre straight away, where doctors removed the remainder of the sausage from his lung.
After 24-hours of intubation Mrs Carpenter said she was overcome with relief to find after waking up Connor was okay.
"He was perfect, just perfect, as if nothing had ever happened to him. We were just so thankful to everyone," she said.
Connor's story not only highlights the importance of knowing CPR, it has prompted St John Ambulance Kununurra to run two free family resuscitation awareness sessions next week.
Regional manager Wil White said the two-hour classes would include basic CPR.
The classes will run from 8am to 10am on Wednesday, April 8, and 11am to 1pm on Thursday, April 9.
To register, call St John Ambulance Kununurra on 9168 68 2844.
