We met all the people in our daughters 4 plex at potluck last night. And their kids. One couple had their 6 week old son with them. Us old fogies left early. Guess after others went home and to bed the baby was crying, anyhow the parents put in their bed with them. Husband has duty this morning, went off to work. Wife woke up and the baby was dead. MP's were called. None of them new infant CPR. My wife is certifed for infant CPR. She was asked to assist. She said one look and she knew it was too late. Bodt was cool, and rigor mortis was setting in. But she work on it untill the EMT's arrived, and took over.
It has been hard on her, and daughter, they now went to a movie to unwind. It is 7:40PM here now.
DOA at hopital. Under full invetigation, possible cause SIDS.
It has hit the community hard.

 

Man I hate to hear stories like this. Especially since I have a 7-week-old daughter. I have worked on a few infants in my job and it is extremely tough to deal with. We have done everything we can think of to keep this from happening to our daughter but you just never know. I do know the risk is a little higher if you let them sleep in the bed with you but I have fallen asleep with her on my chest while rocking her in the middle of the night. That’s probably not very good either.

My condolences to all involved.

Britt

 

I'll second that.

With 20+ years as a FF/medic, I have had to work on no less than 8, 'under 3' year olds. Those images never ever go away, and that's part of why I left the department. I didn't have enough time in for retirement benefits, but for my own sanity, I hadda go.

Oh well, call me a wimp.

chaikwa.

 

Call you a wimp? I don't think I could have made it for 20 minutes.

Sorry to hear about the loss.

 

Very sad to have such a thing happen. My condolence to the parents. I do really have great respect for all of the emergency and medical staff around the globe, personally I wouldn't be able to muster the guts for the job nor could I stand losing a life...

AlpineRAM

 

wimp you are not, many years ago i wanted to be a state police officer. One night i happened on a accident at 3:00 in the morning a car hit a tree and there were 7 dead. The really bad part was the infant they pulled from under the dash in the front seat. Never went ahead with my plans after that. Wimp I don't think so. Local saint maybe.

 

You have my deepest sympathy..........my 2 kids are the love of my life......I can't imagine what the parents are going thru..........sorry...........Tom

 

Since I am a SIDS parent I couldn't lay off this one. It's been 20+ years now and the pain is mostly at the anniversary of his birth and death. On those days neither of us can look at the other without speaking of him. But the first 5 years (until he would have started to school) we thought about him nearly every day and pondered what new things he would be doing by then. Loss of baby teeth and the like...
Man my heart aches for them. I hope they have another child they can spoil rotten with love.
Nat

 

nat,

my condolences to you & your wife. even though it has been 20+ years, there are some things that time cannot erase.

there are so many things to worry about with a child, this just adds another to the list. but this one is near the top of my list. i still get up in the middle of the night and make sure she is okay. i will sit there for 10 mins. sometimes just watching her sleep. over-protective i suppose but i can't help it.


chaikwa,

you could never be considered a wimp.

britt

 

Thanks Brit, but sometimes I wonder, y'know? Most guys can do this their whole life and tho it may bother them, they don't quit over it. (most just become grumpy old truckies!)

What Nat said, about the pain at the anniversary of his son's birth and death, and pondering what new things he would be doing growing up, thinking about losing baby teeth and all that... THOSE are the kind of things I get to thinking about too, even tho those kids weren't my own. The teenagers and adults that lose their lives for whatever reason, I can deal with. It's still sad, but I can reason it out. The little kids and babies tho I just can't put reason to.

chaikwa.

 

I have been really lucky in my career. I have always been able to disassociate myself from the situation. Not to say that there aren’t things that bother me, there are. But I have been lucky enough to work around guys that will let you talk things out and relieve some of the stress. It has always bothered me making rescues on small children and the elderly. Small children don’t understand what’s going on and usually when it comes to someone elderly who is very sick or dieing, their wife or husband is there with them. You have to remember that these people have been with each other for 50 or more years. I can’t imagine losing someone that I have spent that much of my life with. My grandfather lost my grandmother after being married for almost 60 years. I can’t imagine what he must have thought of in the middle of the night when no one else was around to comfort him. 60 years of memories to go through. I have been married for 5 years and we have a bunch of memories already. Can you imagine 60 years worth?

As heartless as it sounds, while making rescues I almost have to think that I am working on something (not someone). But now that I have a daughter that is only 7 weeks old, that is going to be very hard to do when the time comes to make a rescue on a child. I’m not sure that I will be able to separate myself from that situation. Only time will tell but I hope it never comes. For whoever we are running on and myself.

I do understand what you are talking about chaikwa. It is very hard to do.

Take care,

Britt

 

Thank you for all of your support. The family is young military, with a 3 and 2 year old boys. It has been a rough year for them here. They just recieved word that they will be returning to the states where the each have large families waiting to take them into their arms and give them the support that only family can give. They have been here a little more than a year and have suffered more than their share. Your prayers are most humbly apprciated.
Shirley

 

Already sent one up on their behalf.
Nat

 

I can't even imagine the pain they're going through!

Prayers are on the way!!!!!!