First aid knowledge is very essential and one of the major ideas we must know, as we don't know when it could come in handy. No one prays for life-threatening happenings or occurrences, but as we can't predict what the future holds for us or those around us, we should know some basic things about first aid and how to administer it. Although I haven't had many occasions or scenes of someone dying around me, I can vividly remember the day my knowledge about one aspect of first aid saved the life of my young niece.
It was several years ago, when I was still in high school, or better yet, secondary school, as it's commonly called in this part of the world, that I resided with my grandparents, of blessed memories, and during the school break that particular year, one of my uncles sent his children to come spend the school vacation period with our grandparents, and I was really pleased to have them around, because prior to their coming, I was more like the only child around the house, but having them around at least makes the house fun.
Things were going well until both fell really sick. It was during the rainy season, just like we're now, and I guess the weather was very harsh for them, which led to them falling sick. On one of those days, my nephew, who happened to be the younger one, had a convulsion. I was terrified and didn't know what to do, so I called my grandmother, who quickly rushed into the room and admitted first aid to him by trying to calm his nerve and put a spoon between his teeth because his teeth were becoming too tight.
Luckily, the spoon was able to stop his teeth from having a perfect grip that'd make him go stiff like a log of wood. I was there when everything happened, and luckily, after administering some balm, he became relieved and was later rushed to the hospital for further treatment. On the third day, while grandma went to pay him a visit at the hospital, I was home alone with his sister, who happened to be my niece.
Things went south when she also suffered the same fate as her brother by having a convulsion too. I was afraid and unsure of what to do, but when I noticed how she was becoming stiff, I quickly rushed into the kitchen to give her a spoon, which I tried with all my strength to force her mouth open and out between her teeth. After that, I also applied some balm to her body and did the same thing Grandma did to her brother a few days earlier.
And luckily for me, she soon calmed down and was relieved again, after which I quickly carried her on my back and rushed her to the hospital as well. On getting there, I told Grandma what happened, and she was proud of me, thanking me for paying attention to what she did days before because I had not done it. then it would have been a different story entirely. I was glad she was fine, and then I went on to admit her as well. After some days, they were both fine and back home again.
As you can see, this wasn't related to injury or wound but a matter of illness that can lead to death or permanent brain damage for the individual who suffers the convulsion or seizure, and being there greatly helped my neice, so what happened that day taught me a lesson to always pay attention to things, especially when someone administers first aid, so I can know it and use the knowledge to help someone else.
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