#10 – get certified in CPR

when i was 15 years old, my grandfather passed away. my grandma and i were the only ones home with him at the time, and she was in middle of feeding him when it happened. he’d been sick for awhile, so he spent all his time in a hospital bed in the living room. my grandma was in her usual position by his side, feeding him spoonfuls of “dinner” as i sat on the couch, watching tv and doing my best to tune them out.

“he’s not breathing,” came my grandma’s panicked voice. at first it didn’t register to me what was happening, but i remember that the unusual note of alarm in her voice was what first made me realize that something was wrong. “call 911, malia…”

after that, everything happened so quickly. the dispatcher assured me they’d send an ambulance right away and asked if i knew CPR. i didn’t. she told me calmly that she’d walk me through the steps, and i tried my best to listen to what she was telling me without showing the panic and the feeling of helplessness that was rising in me.

the next thing i remember is sitting again on the couch, watching the EMS people coming and going out the front door. a neighbor that i didn’t recognize had come over when they saw the ambulance, and she was hugging me. “who is this person???” i thought, and gently pushed her away. my dad arrived home soon after that, and to this day i think he regrets that he had a meeting that evening and wasn’t there when my grandfather passed.

it’s been almost 15 years now, but ever since that night i’ve wanted to get certified in CPR. it’s an easy thing to do, yet i was always too busy and never took the time to get it taken care of. well today, finally, i can say that i am certified in CPR and first aid. who knows if things would have been different if i’d done it 15 years ago… but i guess like they say, it’s better late than never.

love you grandpa…

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