CPR Classes | Paramedic helps save newborn baby’s life

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CPR Classes Paramedic helps save newborn
babys life
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Paramedic Kevin Thomas was close to ending his
overnight shift in the early morning of February
2016 when he received one last emergency call for
the day a pediatric cardiac respiratory arrest
in Pearl River, a New Orleans suburb. The
emergency involved a newborn baby named Sophia
Ruth Smith, who was only six hours old and
suffered a cardiac arrest after a home birth
delivery. As the ambulance sped to the scene 13
miles away, Kevins thoughts raced in his mind as
he reviewed the steps hed need to take to treat
Sophia. It was his first pediatric cardiac arrest
call. I dont remember the drive to the house,
said Kevin, who works for Acadian Ambulance. All
I remember is being nauseated. Just that feeling
of youre going to have a childs life in your
hands. You just feel sick to your stomach.
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When the ambulance arrived at the home, the fire
department was already on the scene. Sarah,
Sophias mother, said her husband had been doing
CPR on his daughter whose skin had turned blue.
Kevin immediately provided aid to Sophia. He
was on it from the moment he came into the house
and took over the chest compressions and took
over the CPR, Sarah said about Kevins
assistance. He didnt skip a beat. Sophia had
a pulse, but she was having problems breathing.
Kevin and his EMT immediately put a bag-valve
mask on Sophia to deliver oxygen to her lungs to
help her breathe and started an IV. A helicopter
ambulance had already been called to transport
Sophia to the hospital, but Kevin realized that
there was no time to wait for the helicopter.
Sophia needed to get to the hospital immediately.
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Sarah remembered how Kevin advocated for Sophia
to be taken to a nearby hospital by an ambulance
ride instead of a helicopter. He knew there was
not time to get her to the helicopter and
transfer her to the hospital, she said. I
remember he was on the phone with different
hospitals because they didnt want to take her.
He fought and fought to get her to one close
by. Sophia was rushed to a hospital via
ambulance ride. Her prognosis was bleak. Sarah
said Sophia suffered major organ failure and
brain damage. The doctors told Sarah and her
husband to let Sophia go, as she would be in a
vegetative state and have no quality of
life. Fortunately, Sophia defied the odds and
survived. She is now four years old. I look at
her today and thank goodness that we followed our
faith and that we didnt make that choice, Sarah
said. That we didnt make the decision. That we
left it up to God and his will and his way.
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Sarah describes her daughter as an outgoing,
loving child who has a smile that lights up a
room. Sarah said Sophia is nonverbal, but she
communicates so well just who she is. Shell let
you know what she wants, Sarah said. She is
extremely independent. We have nine kids. We
treat her like the other kids. I think that has
helped with her development and her getting to
the point she is today. Sarah said Kevins
experience the day that he responded to the
emergency call and provided treatment to Sophia
made a difference. His experience was what we
needed for her to be here today, she said. When
we left the hospital, her doctor over at Ochsner
Baptist, the head doctor of the NICU, said there
is no scientific reason why your daughter should
be alive today. She was that bad. She was that
sick. It was their (emergency responders) quick
response and everything he did.
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Sarah will not forget how Kevin called the
hospital after the incident to talk to the nurse
to make sure that Sophia survived. God put the
right people right where they needed to be, she
said. Kevin will always have a huge place in our
hearts forever. Kevin keeps in touch with Sarah
and sees Sophias progress through a Facebook
group that her mother started. l look at her
Facebook page all the time because her mom posts
a lot of things on the page because of her
progression, he said. She had a low chance of
survival. And here she is four years old. Kevin
began his career as an EMT with Acadian in 2004.
He later earned his paramedic certification and
now serves as a Critical Care Paramedic. His EMT
training was based on American Heart Association
guidelines. He was recognized as a finalist for
Acadian Ambulance Paramedic of the Year for the
Northshore region of the New Orleans area in 2018.
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Kevin said he feels like hes a savior for his
community of Slidell, as he works to protect
safety and health. He said EMS personnel provide
pre-hospital care and can be the difference
between life and death. They are special people
who always put themselves in danger to help the
ones in need, Kevin said. Learn more about CPR
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