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Retired nurse helps save baby’s life on flight

A retired nurse rescued a baby who had stopped breathing on a plane ride from Pittsburgh to Orlando last week.

Tamara Panzino told the CNN affiliate that she was reading a book through her headphones when she “heard a flight attendant say, ‘We have a baby who can’t breathe'”.

An advertisement shortly afterward asked if there was a doctor on board. The retired nurse ran to the back of the plane to see if she could help.

“I didn’t know what I was dealing with,” Panzino told WESH. “I saw a baby. His head was back. And blue lips… And my heart just dropped.”

Panzino asked a few questions and got to work, delivering the three-month-old baby to his father. “He held it while I did a sternum massage, a sort of aggressive chest shake. Make the baby react by squeezing it. Trying to make him cry or take a deep breath,” Panzino said. The baby’s color returned and Panzino did not need CPR.

The incident occurred on Spirit Flight 1691 from Pittsburgh to Orlando last Thursday, the airline confirmed.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to Tamara for helping our guests and applaud our crew for their quick response,” the airline said in a statement provided to CNN Travel.

“Our flight attendants are trained to respond to medical emergencies on board and utilize a number of features, including communicating with our designated medical professionals on call ashore, using medical kits on board and receiving assistance from accredited medical professionals traveling on the flight.” Spirit said in the statement.

Panzino said the airline had everything the team needed to respond on board. She said they knew within minutes that “we are home free”.

“The baby was going to be fine. The color came back. I heard breathing sounds. I heard a heartbeat. Oh my God, total relief.”

Source: CNN Brasil

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