The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
A mother’s love: Selina’s saving of infant son’s life shows importance of first aid
A YOUNG mother had to act quickly last week to save the life of her one-year-old son from choking.
Thankfully, she remembered her first aid training courses and now she wants to use this experience to emphasise just how important it is for everyone to know basic first aid.
For Selina Rose Looney, last Thursday was the second time – her son Noah almost choked to death a number of years back - in just a few years that she had to live through every parent’s worst fear and nightmare as her one-year-old son, Theo, clawed at his throat and gasped for air; his throat was blocked by a build up of thick mucous in the infant’s still-developing airway.
In a description that can only be described as harrowing to hear, let alone experience first hand, Selina told The Kerryman about what happened last Thursday evening and how, if it had not been for her training and her quick thinking, Theo would have died right there in front of her eyes.
“He was sitting playing with his brother at home, and he just went silent and started clawing at his throat, which was an obvious sign that there was something blocking his airway,” said Selina.
“For a split second, I did have the fear of God put in me because this was déjà vu all over again because his older brother, Noah, also had a more severe choking incident a few years ago; this led to me having to perform CPR on him until doctors arrived,” she said.
Now, a few years later, Selina was once again facing into a lifeor-death situation with Theo, and it would once again be on her to save her child’s life.
“Fear had paralysed me and I didn’t really have confidence in myself, but this is where the importance of first aid comes into it because my instinct and training just took over,” she continued.
“Before I knew, I already had him in my hands, face down and was delivering back slaps before turning him over, checking and repeating the process. This was all while I was basically running to my front door to get help because, again, I did not have confidence in myself, and I did not think I was going to be able to save him,” she said.
“I was running to someone who lived nearby who I thought was a nurse, and it was the second time I was flipping him over, and by this stage he was turning blue and his eyes were starting to really, really bulge from the pressure of not being able to breath.
“It was the look of fear on his face and in his eyes, the look that he’s going to die and that I, as his mother, wasn’t going to be able to save him. It’s a look that would haunt you” she said.
Thankfully, though, once outside, Selina managed to break up or dislodge the built-up hard mucous in his throat; asked to describe her relief at seeing him able to breathe once again, Selina said that the feeling of relief was indescribable.
I know it sounds really cliché when I say it’s a life or death situation – but that’s the reality of it.
After having such a narrow and lucky escape, Selina now wants everyone to take heed of how easily these things can happen, and wants them to take the steps to learn the basic first-aid tips that could save a life some day.
“I know that it sounds really cliché when I say that’s it a life or death situation – but that’s the reality of it. If I had not had the training, it would have been a very different outcome.”
Now, Selina – who runs mom and baby classes – is teaming with a group that teaches first aid and is offering the online classes over Zoom at a highly discounted rate for anyone interested in learning.
“I want these classes to be accessible to as many people as possible because you never know when people will need the skills.
Anyone interested in these classes can contact Selina through her ‘The Mama Movement’ social media pages.