BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – MOST individuals may neglect teaching their two-year-old or even their five-year-old about the importance of knowing how to use the ‘911’ service and when it should be used. But for this Lower Monkey Hill mother, it may have played a role in her life being spared.
The woman - who prefers to remain nameless - spoke with SKNVibes and explained that less than a month ago it dawned on her to inquire of her five-year-old daughter whether or not she knew what to do in the event of an emergency.
“One day, I was home when it crossed my mind to ask my daughter if she knows how to use the phone in case of an emergency. So I called her and I was asking her and explaining to her what number she is to call in case of an emergency and what an emergency is. I taught her how to use the phone in terms of what number to dial and so on..."
The woman said it was only two weeks after she had that conversation with the child that she encountered difficulty and the child sprang into action.
"About two weeks later, I was at home and I was not feeling well. I went to shower and when I caught myself I was on the floor in the bathroom. I got up and went to bed but I still did not feel well. So I got up to try and get my brother who was across the road and I fell down and passed out on the floor.”
This publication also spoke to the child who spared not in explaining her telephone encounter with the 911 operator.
"I said, 'Hello, my mommy is in trouble'. And I said, 'Hello, my mommy feels sick'. And she told me to give mommy the phone. The woman didn’t believe me. She didn’t believe me when I said mommy was sick. And mommy didn’t answer me because she was sleeping on the ground."
The woman said what she remembered next was her child shaking her and beckoning to her, and telling her that someone was on the telephone who wanted to speak with her. She said she regained consciousness to the point where she was able to tell her daughter to go and get help from her uncle, which she did.
The uncle, SKNVibes understands, again called 911. An ambulance was dispatched and the woman was transported to the Joseph N. France General Hospital, where she was treated and released.
“My mommy told me to call my uncle and he came and then I told him that my mommy feels sick. And he came and he called my other uncle and they called ambulance for my mommy,” the child recalled.
The woman, who has since recovered from that ailment, expressed that it is somewhat disturbing that the 911 operator “did not believe when my daughter was speaking of a real emergency. What if when she shook me I did not wake up? What would have happened then”?
She however declared that she is grateful that the situation played out as it did and advised that all parents should give priority to ensuring that their children are aware of how to use the 911 service and when it should be used.
“It could be a life-saver,” she added.
