Faced with a harrowing circumstance, a daycare owner trusted her motherly instinct, which ultimately saved a little boy's life.
Our KNX Hero of the Week reminds us that one simple decision could be the difference between life and death.
It started as a typical July day for Melissa Bell, who runs a home daycare. One of her kids, a 4-year old named Aiden, told her he had a stomach ache.
"We've heard in the past that he may have a couple of stomach issues," says Melissa. "So I was just watching him. Well, then he told me [that] his stomach hurts, and it's jumping to my head, like a jumping bean. Back and forth and back and forth."
Little did Melissa know that the jumping bean sensation was actually a sign that Aiden was about to have a life-threatening seizure. After checking his temperature, she put him down for a nap in another room.
But then her motherly instincts kicked in.
[[{"fid":"197675","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","alignment":"","field_file_image_attribution[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"full","alignment":"","field_file_image_attribution[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","data-delta":"1"}}]]
"You know, I was sitting there, thinking... why don't I just go get him and he can take a nap on the couch with me. And I'll just watch him."
Just minutes after falling asleep, Aiden quietly woke, with a blank stare in his eyes. He was unresponsive and was suddenly burning hot.
"When I picked him up, he instantly vomited," says Melissa. "And, he started shaking. So, I just picked up my phone and called 911."
Aiden was having what's called a febrile seizure. Its caused by a rapid spike in body temperature. The sudden fever caused his entire body to shut down.
[[{"fid":"197676","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","alignment":"","field_file_image_attribution[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"full","alignment":"","field_file_image_attribution[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","data-delta":"2"}}]]
He also stopped breathing, so Melissa started chest compressions.
"I did perform CPR for about five minutes," says the daycare owner. "It wasn't working."
But as Melissa heard sirens from an approaching ambulance, Aiden finally started to breathe again. Paramedics quickly took over and rushed him to a hospital.
Aiden's mother, Betsy Lawler, was out of town for work when she got the call about the emergency.
"I just started shaking," recalls Betsy, tearfully. "Pretty much, all I could think was 'what were my last words to my son? And would he know that I loved him, if I couldn't get there in time?'"
Remarkably, Aiden quickly recovered with no serious medical concerns.
Betsy says Melissa's actions made all the difference. "There was something instinctual there. You know, that she knew Aiden would be better-off at that moment, closer to her. I don't know what would [have] happened if she wasn't there."
Melissa Bell is truly a Hero and that's why she has been named this week's KNX hero of the week.
KNX Heroes is presented by California Resources Corporation, saluting our military veterans, and all of our heroes!
Heather Jordan, KNX 1070 News Radio.
