Medical emergencies with no land line

Published

This story was sent out over one of my work listservs today to highlight the quick thinking of this 7 year old boy. Hooray for him, but the adults in his life had better start using some common sense themselves.

I'm glad that this grandfather survived and that his grandsons had the presence of mind to help him. Still, I find it difficult to fathom that a man with a condition that could turn life threatening at any moment would go anywhere without his cell phone and even more so that a mother would leave her children at home with no access to a telephone that could dial for emergency assistance. I'm sorry, but that strikes me as incredibly irresponsible. And what kind of "babysitter" leaves a 7 year old and a 4 year old alone in the living room for a few hours?

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/NEWS/704240383/1006

Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.

I'm not sure I'm seeing the relevance of adults making a choice not to have a land line to leaving 2 young children overnight with a sitter without ensuring that some type of telephone is available, but yes, you're right, it certainly my choice to be a responsible parent. I wasn't exactly looking for anyone to grant it to me, but thanks anyway.

No, Mercy, I meant it was your choice to always have landlines. Don't put words in my mouth. And this mom's only irresponsibility was not specifically asking her dad if he had his cell phone with him.

Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.

Yes, not making sure he didn't have his cell phone was irresponsible. Wonder why I didn't say that in my first post? Oh wait....

No, what you said was that she was irresponsible because she left them with NO phone access. The child had a phone, remember? She should have made sure Grandpa had his phone, but they were not without a phone.

Specializes in nursery, L and D.

I have to go with Tazzi on this one. I don't have a land line anymore, me, dh, kids, grandma and papa all have cells. My parents often watch the kids and I don't think I ask each time if they have their phones. They are my parents and I trust them. I would hope in a situation like this my kids would know what to do. Good thing this turned out OK. Maybe I will start asking, just to be sure. But I don't think it was all that irresposnsible for mom not to ask, we all assume things, (usually not good to do, but we do assume) and I am sure that is what the mom did in this situation.

Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.

It wasn't a cell that could dial for emergency assistance. It dialed her, and she was miles away. This story could have so easily had a tragic ending, no matter what spin some of you put on it. Never should a child be left without access to a phone that can dial for emergency assistance. There, is that specific enough?

The only reason that this didn't end badly is because the 7 year old had good common sense. Not all 7 year olds do. Or some have it but lose it when they panic. It isn't fair to impose this kind of responsibility upon them because you have chosen to give up a land line and don't make sure some other access is available.

It wasn't a cell that could dial for emergency assistance. It dialed her, and she was miles away. This story could have so easily had a tragic ending, no matter what spin some of you put on it. Never should a child be left without access to a phone that can dial for emergency assistance. There, is that specific enough?

The only reason that this didn't end badly is because the 7 year old had good common sense. Not all 7 year olds do. Or some have it but lose it when they panic. It isn't fair to impose this kind of responsibility upon them because you have chosen to give up a land line and don't make sure some other access is available.

That surprises me. The reason, is I donate all of my old cell-phones to the local battered women's shelter, because as long as the phone is charged, they can still call 911 WITHOUT having a subscription to a cell service provider. They give the phones to women so they can dial 911 if they are out anywhere, b/c many fo them have restraining orders. They also donate them to seniors that can't afford a land line.

You are right, it's not the same, but my point is, you can still dial 911.

I agree that there should be a land line for emergencies, but phones manufactured in the last 5 years have the GPS systems on it, so they can pinpoint on a map where the call is coming from.

Note: I re-read the article again, and missed the point about where the kid evidently had one of those "Firefly" phones.

I totally blame the Mom on that one. When you are a mother, and you are out of town, you keep your cell phone with you and make sure you can hear to answer it. Heck, someone walking down my street late at night wakes me up....how can ANYONE sleep through a cell phone going off 5 times in a row before they pick up?

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