By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
A routine weekend shopping trip proved to be anything but for several area residents Saturday evening at Walmart in Great Bend. Just after 7:30 p.m., 29-year-old Eric Keller just happened to be in the area and was able to provide life-saving CPR on a toddler before emergency personnel arrived.
"Towards the back side of the store, someone yelled, 'Does anyone know CPR?'" Keller said. "I took a little certification class, which is great, but I never expected to use it. When you use it, you can't really unsee it. By the time I got to the little girl, her lips were already purple, and her face had pretty much drained of color."
The mother of the 23-month-old toddler, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her daughter suffered a fever spike while at the store, which caused a seizure. Bystanders told the mother to perform CPR while the child turned blue, and one bystander shouted for help from someone who knew CPR.
Keller put down his own child and began administering CPR while the mother spoke to 911 on the phone. Dispatchers were able to remain on the line and assist with the situation for approximately four minutes before Great Bend Fire and EMS arrived.
"We were very fortunate he was there," the mother said. "If he weren't, she probably wouldn't have been okay."
Keller knew the Great Bend police officer who first arrived on the scene. He told the officer he wished to remain anonymous but would like to know how the little girl was doing. Keller said he was glad he took the CPR course on a whim and encourages others to do the same.
"It's a skill that a lot of people can learn and take advantage of," he said. "You never know when it's going to come in handy. At the end of the day, I just wanted to know that the little girl was all right. I didn't want to be recognized as the guy who got her to that point. The medics stepped in and did a great job of getting her to the hospital and taking care of her en route."
The mother had good news to report later in the week. The pair visited a family doctor Monday and again Tuesday, and the mother has plans to visit with a neurologist in the near future. She warned sudden medical emergencies can happen to anyone.
"I'm a young mom," she said. "I'm 24, and I didn't think it would happen to my child. No one ever warned me my baby could have a seizure and stop breathing, so I want people to be aware and know it can happen. I am so grateful he was there to help, and I urge all parents to learn CPR. You never know when it will come in handy.