Siblings' Actions Save Mother's Life

Photo by Mimi Teller/American Red Cross

Ofelia hadn't been feeling well; she was dizzy, had a tightness in her chest and had been vomiting. She decided to dial 911 but before she could complete the call she collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.

Her daughter Natalie, a licensed vocational nurse and son Taylor quickly jumped to action.

Carefully, they moved Ofelia from her chair to the floor so that Natalie could start performing Cardiopulminary Resuscitation (CPR), which she continued until paramedics arrived.

Once on the scene, emergency services applied a defibrillator eight times over a 16-minute period with the hope of bringing Ofelia back. After 20 minutes of trying to revive Ofelia and the last possible defibrillator attempt, paramedics finally succeeded in reviving Ofelia’s heart.

Ofelia credits her children Natalie and Taylor for saving her life through their quick actions and knowledge of CPR.

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The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or cruzrojaamericana.org.