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“This is a perfect example of the value that skilled EMS professionals bring to Albertans." — Elisabeth Ballermann, HSAA President
Edmonton (27 April 2015) — A boy nearly five years old wearing an Amazing Spider-Man T-shirt got to meet his own real-life heroes today — the paramedics who saved his life the day he was born.
HSAA/NUPGE EMS members save newborn
Talon Nelson was born prematurely at home weighing only 1 lb 8 oz. He wasn’t breathing, was blue and had a weak heartbeat.
“I couldn’t get Talon to open his mouth to get him to breathe because his mouth was not even the size of a quarter,” said his grandmother, Shelly Nelson. To their rescue came the paramedics from Edmonton Metro EMS, members of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE), the union of health care professionals.
“I said, ‘Please help me.’ All of a sudden, bang, my house was full of paramedics ... I was never so happy to see people in my life. I said: ‘Just get my grandson to breathe, please’ … The next words I heard were the worst words I ever heard in my life. As they were passing him through the air, they said ‘flat-line baby.’ I thought: Oh my God,” said Shelly.
“The next thing I knew my husband was flinging open the door as this paramedic is running out of my house like a football player, screaming,‘Get out of my way.’ ”
She described the next couple of hours as “very scary” and that the family didn’t know whether Talon was going to survive.
But survive he did. In fact, he’s a bundle of energy and constantly on the go, according to mom, Megan.
Family reunites with paramedics to say thank you
Ever since that day, Shelly, a bus driver with the City of Edmonton, has been looking for the paramedics who came to her home, wishing to find a way to say thanks.
Today, her wish came true when Seth Dodman, Ryan Millar, Brendan Mulholland, Robin Thenu and Sean Vesak were reunited with the family.
“I am thrilled … to finally have the chance to thank them for everything that they did for Talon and for my family, because he is such a joy to have around,” said Shelly.
The paramedics were just as thrilled.
Paramedics happy to see boy strong and healthy
“Being able to see the end result allows us to keep going,” said Vesak. “We see some awful things and deal with some stressful situations, so seeing the positive, seeing great outcomes like this makes it much easier to keep doing the job and reaffirms why we do this for a living.”
Dodman, who became an officer with the Edmonton Police Service four years ago, said, “Seeing his smile is probably one of the best feelings I have ever had.”
Asked how he performed chest compressions on a baby that small — imagine something a bit bigger than a pound of butter — he said, “Delicately. As you are trained.”
EMS workers respond to over 157,000 calls each year without knowing patient outcomes
According to Alberta Health Services (AHS), Edmonton Zone EMS professionals respond to more than 157,000 events annually and, most of the time, do not know the patient outcome.
“Our goal as paramedics is to arrive at an emergency and initiate advanced medical care, often in life-threatening situations,” says Melissa Edwards, an Emergency Medical Technician and public education officer with EMS.
“So often we are unaware of the patient’s progression after we treat and transport them to an emergency department. It’s quite rewarding to see the significant difference our jobs can make.”
HSAA President Elisabeth Ballermann said, “This is a perfect example of the value that skilled EMS professionals bring to Albertans. We are tremendously proud of these paramedics, as we are of all our members who bring their skill and professionalism to patients every day. We are thrilled that the family has had such a positive outcome.”
If you want to thank a paramedic, you can send a thank you note at www.thankaparamedic.com.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE