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CPR Saves Baby Pulled From Tornado Debris
Written by Susan Kessler, Special to RedCross.org
Kansas City, Kansas, June 3, 2003 —
When Helen DeSpain took an American Red Cross CPR class as part of her training to be a nanny, she never dreamed that one day she would use those skills to save her own child.
Because she knew CPR, Helen DeSpain was able to save the life of her daughter Espie, who lost consciousness and stopped breathing after a tornado ripped through the Kansas City home.
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On May 4, three of the DeSpain children were enjoying a Sunday afternoon visit with Helen’s mother in Kansas City. Helen’s husband Don was putting the finishing touches on special food he was preparing for a large Cinco de Mayo celebration on Monday. Helen and six-month-old Esperanza, whom the family lovingly calls Espie, decided to take a nap on the living room sofa.
Dozing unaware of the devastating winds that were bearing down on her home, Helen cuddled her sleeping baby. The roar of the approaching tornado gradually interrupted her quiet sleep.
“I got up to see what all the noise was and left Espie asleep on the sofa,” Helen recounted later. “Just as I got to the window to look out, it seemed that everything fell apart.”
The tornado bore down on the DeSpain house. Walls collapsed and flew apart, fireplace bricks flew through the air, floors fell into the basement, one of the house timbers pierced the back of the overturned refrigerator, and furniture and clothing were whisked away.
Helen gasped when she realized that the sofa and little Espie were nowhere in sight.
“I can’t tell you how my heart jumped when I heard her crying,” Helen said, fighting back tears. “It at least meant she was still alive somewhere.”
When the wind ravaged the house, Espie was blown from the sofa and was pinned somewhere beneath the rubble of the fallen living room wall, which teetered precariously propped on two stereo speakers.
Helen tried frantically to free Espie, but could not. Espie cried and wildly flailed her arms and legs, making it even harder for Helen to dislodge her.
When Espie’s cries suddenly ceased and her tiny body became limp, Helen pulled desperately with all her strength.
Espie was pinned beneath the rubble of her grandmother's Kansas City home, which was completely destroyed by the May 4 twister.
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Espie’s limp body finally slipped from the grip of the chaotic debris into her mother’s arms.
Helen turned Espie over and saw that the infant was blue and was not breathing.
Remembering her earlier training as a young nanny, Helen began CPR and was eventually gratified to see Espie’s eyes flutter open. When the infant’s eyes rolled back, though, Helen continued rescue breathing until she was sure Espie was breathing on her own.
Clutching Espie in her arms, Helen stumbled into the debris-covered street where neighbors were staring at the strange sight of the remains of their homes scattered everywhere. Neighbors rushed the mother and child to rescue workers who were beginning to stream into the community. After a hospital visit confirmed that Espie had suffered no physical harm, the whole DeSpain family gathered around Espie to cuddle her and comfort each other.
“I took the Red Cross CPR thinking I would be trained to save other people’s children,” Helen reflected when at last she could sit and collect her thoughts. “I am forever thankful that I knew what to do to save my own little Espie.”
Get Trained Today
American Red Cross first aid, CPR and AED programs are designed to help communities learn and remember valuable lifesaving skills and knowledge.
Red Cross first aid, CPR and AED programs are available for any age group and can be tailored to the needs of specific groups and individuals. Whether you work with children, want training for employees, are a professional rescuer, or simply want to know how to help in an emergency, the American Red Cross has a program for you.
To sign up and get trained, call your local chapter today.
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All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. The Red Cross also supplies nearly half of the nation's lifesaving blood. This, too, is made possible by generous voluntary donations. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. You can make a secure online credit card donation or call 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Or you may send your donation to your local Red Cross or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. To donate blood, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543), or contact your local Red Cross to find out about upcoming blood drives.
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