[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK

                                 ______


                         HON. E. CLAY SHAW, JR.

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 1996

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Emergency Medical 
Services Week. First, let me tell a short story.
  Like any healthy 4-year-old boy, Cody was thrilled to be climbing on 
a shiny red fire engine. He and his brother, Drew, were visiting their 
local fire department for a special reason. One week earlier, two of 
the paramedics from this fire department were struggling to save Cody's 
life.
  On that January day in 1995, Drew saw Cody run past the family room 
and down the hall toward the bathroom. Sensing something was wrong, 
Drew scurried after his brother, reaching Cody just before he 
collapsed. Drew yelled for their father, then tried the Heimlich 
maneuver he recently learned at school. But, whatever was lodged in 
Cody's throat would not budge. By this time, their father had reached 
the boys and told Drew to call 911.
  The call came in stating that a young boy was having difficulty 
breathing. Two paramedics responded to the call, arriving on the scene 
only minutes later. They found Cody pale and no longer breathing. One 
paramedic took the child's pulse and mentally ran through the training 
he had received just a few weeks earlier at a special pediatric airway 
management class. At that point he could see that the object looked 
like a jaw breaker, but it was covered with tissue and blood.
  He tried basic measures to remove the object and it seemed to move a 
little. In his efforts to breath, however, Cody sucked it back down. 
Seconds went by. The paramedic then tried a new child-sized piece of 
equipment he had received during his recent training: A laryngoscope 
and a pair of McGill forceps, which look something like salad tongs. 
Again, Cody's attempts to breathe foiled his efforts. More seconds 
passed.
  By this time a senior paramedic arrived on the scene and immediately 
decided to give the McGill forceps one more try. Working as a team, the 
two paramedics finally dislodged the object in Cody's throat. Cody 
began to breath. It was a save.
  I retell this story to emphasize the reality that a child's life not 
only requires specialized equipment and training, it also takes a 
thorough understanding of just how different children are from adults, 
both physically and emotionally. No one understands this more than Dr. 
Deborah Mulligan-Smith of my district in south Florida. Working 
tirelessly, Dr. Mulligan-Smith recently inspired the Florida 
Legislature to pass a bill that appropriates $200,000 for the training 
of paramedics in emergency pediatrics.
  In 1984, Congress funded a grant program that helps States expand 
children's access to proper emergency care while also improving the 
quality of such care. The Emergency Medical Services for Children 
[EMSC] program encourages States and municipalities to enhance their 
emergency medical systems to benefit children in ways unheard of just a 
few years ago. This program enhances emergency care by integrating the 
needs of severely ill or injured children into existing EMS systems, 
trains and educates EMS personnel to effectively handle pediatric 
emergencies, works to prevent pediatric emergencies by supporting 
injury prevention programs, and saves money by stimulating partnerships 
between grantees, local agencies, and community organizations.
  Mr. Speaker, as our Nation recognizes Emergency Medical Services 
Week, I want to congratulate Dr. Mulligan-Smith on her efforts to save 
the lives of our children through the EMSC program. Children do need 
special attention and treatment, and they need the development of 
special medical equipment to help save their lives. They also need to 
have paramedics specially trained in emergency pediatrics. I support 
Dr. Mulligan-Smith's dedication to accomplishing EMSC objectives, and I 
encourage my congressional colleagues to do the same.

                          ____________________