Have you ever saved a life!!

13

Replies

  • iamwilso
    iamwilso Posts: 1,955 Member
    Yes few times now
  • My best friend would say so. Like another person said, "intuition". It was the craziest, heart-dropping feeling. I was out at a store with another friend and I just had this instant feeling that something wasn't ok with my best friend. I said we had to get to her immediately because it wasn't right. When I walked in the door, I just knew instantly. We were suite-mates....shared a bathroom. I ran through to her room and saw her on her bed. She had attempted suicide....pills and slitting her wrists pretty bad. I didn't know what to do, but I guess whatever I did, ended up saving her. The docs said had it been much longer, she would have bled out. They pumped her stomach several times. She hated me for a while. I hated her for a while. I went through every emotion you could possibly think of for about a year. She moved away and I was scared every single day. I didn't know how to talk to her. After a year of no conversation, we talked. One of the very few times I can say two people let everything go and forgave each other and ourselves for the feelings we had felt. It's a crazy, relieving feeling.....very hard to describe to someone that hasn't felt it.
    People say suicide is selfish and they automatically hate people that ever even consider it.....but until you've been there with someone you love.....it's just something I never want to feel again.
    Anyways, she's super happy now! It has been about five or six years now....she has a husband that loves every single bit of her and a baby boy that is so amazing! Her life is wonderful and I'm so glad I still get to be a part of it!
  • chelseagirlfl
    chelseagirlfl Posts: 207 Member
    SAVING LIVES IS MY SUPER POWER..LOL

    I am a 911 Dispatcher.
  • Yep. I pulled a drunk guy off of train tracks as the train was about to hit him.

    Wow! I always hope I would be this brave in a situation like this!
  • Rescued a woman and child, plus and elderly man that were trapped under a collapsed apt building during the San Francisco Bay Area earthquake Oct 17, 1989, that 7.1 magnitude quake that interrupted the World Series. The trapped people were 15 feet underground and I was lowered by my ankles by a rope and they pulled me, with them attached to me out from under the large apt house.

    This is incredible!
  • My best friend would say so. Like another person said, "intuition". It was the craziest, heart-dropping feeling. I was out at a store with another friend and I just had this instant feeling that something wasn't ok with my best friend. I said we had to get to her immediately because it wasn't right. When I walked in the door, I just knew instantly. We were suite-mates....shared a bathroom. I ran through to her room and saw her on her bed. She had attempted suicide....pills and slitting her wrists pretty bad. I didn't know what to do, but I guess whatever I did, ended up saving her. The docs said had it been much longer, she would have bled out. They pumped her stomach several times. She hated me for a while. I hated her for a while. I went through every emotion you could possibly think of for about a year. She moved away and I was scared every single day. I didn't know how to talk to her. After a year of no conversation, we talked. One of the very few times I can say two people let everything go and forgave each other and ourselves for the feelings we had felt. It's a crazy, relieving feeling.....very hard to describe to someone that hasn't felt it.
    People say suicide is selfish and they automatically hate people that ever even consider it.....but until you've been there with someone you love.....it's just something I never want to feel again.
    Anyways, she's super happy now! It has been about five or six years now....she has a husband that loves every single bit of her and a baby boy that is so amazing! Her life is wonderful and I'm so glad I still get to be a part of it!

    Aww so happy for her! Thanks for sharing. :flowerforyou:
  • BonnieandClyde29
    BonnieandClyde29 Posts: 1,026 Member
    Everyday! I'm a vegan :)

    That doesn't count!
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    Everyday! I'm a vegan :)

    That doesn't count!
    I beg to differ.
  • My0WNinspiration
    My0WNinspiration Posts: 1,146 Member
    Yes when a patient went into cardiac arrest during care I gave CPR and revived her.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,026 Member
    I am pretty sure that I save people from themselves here on MFP every day.


    You're welcome.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    I am pretty sure that I save people from themselves here on MFP every day.


    You're welcome.
    Tis true, he rocks.
  • TheRealOrson
    TheRealOrson Posts: 1,415 Member
    No way of know if the definitely would have died but there's a good chance.

    Walking along the street in Bali, Indonesia....the sidewalks are in very poor condition and the kerbs are very high.

    As we walked past a group of Japanese ladies. The eldest (who I suspect was around 80, was at the rear of their group) stumbled off the kerb and right into traffic (Bali has incredibly busy streets with zero ttaffic management)

    I just reacted and dived out,wrapped myself around her and bundled her out of the way.
    No-one in her group had seen what happened until after when I was still holding her....so they thought I was attacking her lol
  • RebekahR84
    RebekahR84 Posts: 794 Member
    911 dispatcher here, so I *help* saves lives all the time I guess.

    But this one time, I was visiting my friend in Chicago, and we went to the mall with the Maceys on Michigan Ave. As we were walking out, there was this man lying face down on the floor with his arms and legs spread out. I watched about a dozen people step over and around him. I almost continued on just because I thought maybe it was a joke BECAUSE people were walking over him... Then I walked back to him and asked him if he was okay. He didn't answer or move. So I yelled out, "has anyone called 911?" Some chick from a store yelled back, "I did."

    Even though I didn't know WHY he was on the ground, it was clear he wasn't breathing, so I made the decision to support his neck and turn him over, preparing to start CPR. He was very large, so my friend helped me with this. As soon as we had him on his back, he took a loud, deep breath and opened his eyes halfway. I asked him if he knew his name, but all he could mumble was "stroke." So, I tilted his head back to improve his airway and kept him awake until rescue arrived. My friend had taken his cellphone and dialed his last called number. It was his brother who was at the mall. Our guy had told them to go on without him because he was feeling weak. He had assumed it was diabetes, so he bought some orange juice and started walking to the bench.

    I honestly don't know if this guy ever made it. I wish I had taken down his phone number.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    bump because this thread gives me hope in humanity:flowerforyou:
  • RebekahR84
    RebekahR84 Posts: 794 Member
    I love this thread. And shout-out to all my fellow 911 dispatchers in the house! These feel-good stories are so refreshing!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    My husband and I have been first on the scene at traffic accidents and a waterfront situation. Only one injured person out of the four situations survived. I think most people dont realize that CPR is a last ditch effort and only has something like a 5% survival rate.

    Dependent on the cause of arrest its higher than 5%, though in trauma as you experienced survival is poor. Sudden cardiac arrest with good bystander CPR and early access defib can have a good chance of survival - estimated 75%

    The lesson - everyone should learn CPR

    my granddad had a heart attack while waiting for an appointment at the doctor's surgery, nurses on duty did CPR and saved his life (although he died a couple of years later from something else)
  • rachaelgifford
    rachaelgifford Posts: 320 Member
    I have spent years working as a lifeguard, so I have. The worst was an elderly man having an epileptic fit in the swimming pool. Thankfully he was fine, I never have been so glad for my training.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Boat fire - swam out, pulled a mother and her daughter OFF the boat and got them to safety - neither knew how to swim.
    Military service - humanitarian support (languages) in Huichole area - we evac'ed people for various reasons (floods, shots, accidents). Actually had to force some dumb "social worker" onto a truck and restrain her in a mudslide area.
    Friend cut himself on purpose in the woods - field sutures. Talked him out.
    Heimlich twice but I think those would have self resolved.
    I also worked triage support in a hospital and later designed hip implants but that's not very direct "life saving"..

    Trekking: We had an Indian guy in another group that broke his leg in the Himalayas. He insisted we not call in a copter ($5000) - splinted and "racked" him so he could be carried out on a three/four day return. I helped, he made it but I'm sure it was the wrong decision.

    I should update my CPR/First Response training.
  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
    FYI meat is dealicious nom nom nom

    Anyway back on topic, I can't remember if Ive directly saved someones life, but im a blood donor coming upto my 27th donations so I hope at least one of the donations saved someones life.
  • AlteredSkates
    AlteredSkates Posts: 123 Member
    Everyday! I'm a vegan :)

    That doesn't count!
    I beg to differ.

    Thankyou!:flowerforyou: