In An Instant
Ever since high school, Dakota Campbell has loved being around little kids. Hoping to one day open a daycare herself, she got a job at Tiger Tots Preschools: Central Location, a daycare center in Columbia, Mo, working with 1- to 2-year-olds.
Every two years, Tiger Tots’ staff take a CPR and First Aid course through Boone Health’s Community Wellness department.
“We teach a hybrid class,” said Sharilyn Reedy, MSN, RN, Community Wellness Coordinator. “They complete an online portion through the American Heart Association; then we do an in-person skills check where they get hands-on experience on what to do if an infant, child or adult is choking or in need of CPR.”
Tiger Tots had their CPR and First Aid instruction on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. Dakota learned CPR when she was in high school, but said she learned a lot from this class. “This class elaborated on a lot of stuff I wasn’t taught, and it was a lot more thorough.”
On Thursday, September 12, Dakota and another teacher were outside with their 1–2-year-old class. Dakota turned to talk to the other teacher and quickly noticed that a certain vocal one-year-old was not being very loud. When she turned to look at him, she noticed he was grabbing at his throat and that he was choking.
She quickly went to him, sat on something sturdy like she was taught in class, flipped the child over and started patting his back. As she kept patting, he started to cry, but Dakota calmly told him, “I’ve got to keep patting to get that up.”
The other teacher had radioed for help, and admin staff came within seconds.
Tiger Tots owner Paul Prevo said, “When we got out there, nobody stopped her. She was doing a great job; we just stood and watched to see if there was anything that we could do to help. But she had it under control.”
The one-year-old was successfully unchoked. The culprit was a pecan shell piece that he had picked up off the ground. He was a little shaken up, but he was fine.
“One-year olds will put anything and everything in their mouths. We try to teach them not to randomly pick something up off the floor and stick in it their mouths, but in the off chance that one does, and an emergency happens, my staff is trained to know what to do,” Paul said.
“I was really hoping that I wouldn’t have to use this skill anytime soon, but I’m glad I knew what I had to do. I was able to respond quickly, and he was okay,” Dakota said.
After it was over, Dakota was emotional. “I was just so upset. I hang out with him every day. He loves coming up to me and getting hugs. He’s very cuddly, he’s almost like my baby. That was just very scary.”
Paul said, “She came over to me and hugged me and I just held her there for a minute. It’s an emotional letdown after something like that happens that you’re like, ‘Now I can think about what just happened for a minute.’”
“After we go over the infant choking portion,” Sharilyn explained, “we ask if any of the participants want to share any real-life experiences with the class. In the class that happened after the choking incident, several people excitedly related how Dakota saved the toddler and handled it like a pro just one day after getting CPR certified.
“Dakota stayed calm, she used the skills she was taught, and the child became unchoked. Her quick actions and critical thinking saved a life that day. I’m super proud of this young lady,” Sharilyn said.
By Erin Wegner