When something happens to a loved one, most people are shocked and emotional. Even medics, emergency responders or firefighters – i.e. real professionals – sometimes forget the most basic movements when it comes to someone close. All the more astonishing what a boy from the province of Anhui in China was able to do. He had to watch his mother suffer an accident – ??and reacted with quick wit.
The woman was riding an e-bike on the street when a car hit her. She fell off her bike and injured her head, lying unconscious. The nine-year-old son rushed to her and immediately wanted to help. “Mom, hold on!” he shouted – and tried to do a chest compression like that used by rescuers for resuscitation. Meanwhile, other passers-by called the ambulance.
When the mother remained unconscious, he threw up an umbrella to at least protect her from the blazing sun until the ambulance arrived (umbrellas are actually still a common accessory in parts of Asia, unlike here). Bystanders who protected the scene of the accident from the moving traffic reacted visibly moved. A video on Weibo, a kind of Chinese Facebook, shows the scene. Fortunately, the ambulance arrives and transports the mother to the hospital. The nine-year-old can ride.
It is said that the woman regained consciousness during the journey. Nevertheless, she was seriously injured in the accident and was briefly in mortal danger. She is currently still being treated in the clinic, her son and husband are helping her to recover. Meanwhile, the little boy is being hailed as a “hero” by many social media users who saw the video. People are amazed at how calm the nine-year-old remained in such a shocking situation.
However, there was also criticism: the son did not perform the chest compressions properly with his mother, some users note – he put his hands far too far towards the stomach instead of in the middle of the chest. However, the father stated that his son had never learned rescue measures professionally, but only knew what to do in emergency situations from television. And professional rescuers say anyway: Every attempt at emergency aid is better than not helping at all!
Sources: Weibo, “SCMP”