It was an over cast afternoon Ithat day, as I remember it. Walking with my 6-month baby boy I was racing home from kindergarten with my 4 year old in tow. We where singing nursery rhymes together. The snorting of Old MacDonald’s Pig came to an abrupt halt as the dull thud rose above the humming of the heavy traffic racing down the main road.
I half turned in mid pig snort, to see the dark blue commodore and trailer billowing smoke around the rear wheels as he brought his car to the curb. In the distance I saw the little heap lying in the gutter as passersby came running up to the curb, to investigate.
I squinted trying to get a clearer view, as a woman bent down too pick up the heap that lay there. As she straightened I could see a pair of limp legs dangling and an arm resting at an odd angle. It became all to clear
No hesitation! I asked my friend to stand with the boys and I raced across the road. Ducking and diving in-between the cars and trucks waving my arms calling out stop! Stop!
But no one heard me nor even looked to see me coming. Complete attention was given to the child now laid lifeless on the grass verge.
Almost breathless, my heart racing I reached them, I looked down on the child only five years old, he only started school three weeks before. Now on his back, limbs flayed a plump cushion placed under his pale head with his sandy colured curls unruly and streaked with blood.
In a split second I moved with precision. To the woman who had supplied the cushion I barked “go to your houses and get me a knife Falk and spoon go Now hurray!,”
I fell on me knees next to his right leg that lay with his foot completely flat on the ground facing away. His arm flung equally as unnaturally at right angles I removed the cushion from under his head and put my ear to his nose and mouth there was no breath but a faint gurgling in his throat.
Thank you God I whispered out loud. That was enough sign for me. I tilted his head back and placed my mouth over his and began to suck.
I sucked up the spittle and blood collecting at the back of his throat and spat them to the ground and again I sucked and kept sucking and spitting until I could hear his body drawing breath freely. The cushion had completely blocked his air way. Lifting him from the gutter had most Likely caused his shattered ribs to pierce his lungs and blood was still seeping up into the back of his throat.
Gingerly the timid elderly woman offered me the cutlery. I knew they where confused but there were no time for explanation.
Checking the array in her hand I selected the Falk because of the shape and width of the handle. Knowing time was against him I worked quickly giving one last suction effort to the pooling blood to clear as much as possible but I could feel and see his jaw beginning to clamp. I characteristic of a deeply unconscious person. I inserted the handle of the Falk between his small teeth and held it in place firmly. I was just in time for almost immediately I could feel the pressure of his jaw biting onto the handle. I prayed the ambulance would hasten.
He looked so small and frail how could any child survive being hit front on from a moving car at 80 miles an hour but miraculously he body broken skull obviously fractured but he was still breaking
Minutes passed and even the clamping of his little jaw was begging to be too much for me to hold the tool in place to keep his mouth open for his body to get the air it needed to keep him alive. My hand began to shake with the effort and strength needed so I prayed I could not let this little child die because I did not have the strength to hold on to his life line.
I saw the ambulance coming slowly it approached as though there was no emergency hurray I called desperately I can’t hold it any longer. With precision he finally was able to insert the mouthpiece. At least Brendan would have a chance to live a life.
I got up and gathered my boys with drops of blood and spittle that had fallen on my t-shirt and soaked in. I could taste blood in my mouth. The salty tinny flavor, feeling like dry reaching I wanted to rush home and change before facing his mother.
Brandon recovered but not well. He had to wear a helmet to protect his head. The lively healthy boy who started school could not talk properly anymore. His concentration was limited and he walked with a severe limp almost dragging his right leg behind him.
What had I done? His prognoses was a tragedy, sever brain damage, epilepsy, how precious is life that I could have condemned another and his entire family to years of struggle, suffering and heartache. I lived with the guilt and uncertainty
This week I saw his death notice he lived another 25 years
A year after Brendan’s fateful accident my own son who 18 months had sort adventure. An older child had opened the front door whilst I was on the phone and he had wandered out while I sat on the phone oblivious to the pending events. Until there was a banging on the front door
To my horror I found my baby had wandered out onto the road in front of a large van that was pulling out from the curbside.
The young driver in tears, I ran to the road where he lay face down on the road still quite the black tire mark ran across both legs and was clearly imprinted across the back of his white Jacket.
Half sobbing I heard wailing coming from the back of my throat I fell on the ground beside him calling his name over and over. Wanting the miracle every mother could want in this situation. Please God I called out NO No! The passenger in the van tried to comfort me but there was nothing he could say there where no words, heaven could have fallen on me but I could not accept his broken little body would be gone from me forever
I reached pout and touched my babies face Daryl Daryl I cried over and over.
Then it happened Like a miracle it was just a split second but I saw it. A movement Hush the poor man whispered, he desperately tried comfort me don’t expect anything he lent over to pull me away.
I would not allow that man to touch me; hysterically I shrugged away his touch.
Instead I called out, again and again more urgently touching his face his back his head letting my tears fall on his face, “ baby baby don’t leave me”
This time his arm moved for all to see.
I lay next to him on the road and held him as best I could so that he could feel me as close as possible
That day a miracle happened and my baby came back to life.
We had another 20 years together before he was taken from us again
The next time I was not there to call out his name to touch his face or plead for more time
This time help arrived minutes late
Some times we can get a second chance sometimes not. We never know when our time will be
· Live life to the full
· Love as though there is no tomorrow
· Do not let fear prevent you
· Do not be so cautious that you miss
opportunities
· It is better to make a bad decision than
no decision
· Life will not wait until we are ready
· Instead we must be ready to embrace life
· Each day passed is gone forever
