911 dispatcher honored for helping to save pregnant mom and her baby

When a call for help came in, one 911 dispatcher in Corpus Christi, Texas, reacted with composure and compassion that ended up helping to save two lives: a young expectant mother and her preborn child.

Key Takeaways:

• Mikayla Flores was found unconscious by her husband, Ernest, after having been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.

• 911 dispatcher Linda Campbell remained calm, and walked him through how to perform CPR.

• With her direction and coordination of emergency crews, Mikayla and her baby were both saved.

The Details:

When Ernest Flores found his pregnant wife, Mikayla, unconscious and turning purple from pre-eclampsia, he instantly dialed 911. On the other end of the line, dispatcher Linda Campbell calmly taught him how to perform CPR.

"I was getting him to calm down. I was trying to get him calm so we could do CPR because he had already told me she was purple and then that she was pregnant," Campbell said.

After walking Flores through CPR on his wife, emergency crews reached the scene and delivered critical lifesaving treatment. Paramedics were able to find Mikayla’s pulse, and hurried her to the hospital. Meanwhile, police officers comforted the family, reassuring the father and comforting the couple's other young child amid the harrowing experience. 

Flores says he owes his wife’s and baby girl’s survival to dispatcher Campbell’s help, and to the strength of his faith:

“I'm grateful and blessed that God put her in my life at that moment and she answered the call and she told me what to do and she didn't panic. Because of you, my wife is able to live a full life. Because of you, my daughter is able to live a full life. My children still have their mother.

And she guided me and because of her, my wife and my daughter are here today, like 100% and of course God, too — like, I give all my thanks to God. Without Him my wife and daughter also wouldn't be here."

Flores said that he plans to share the story with his daughter for as long as he lives. His baby girl, now healthy and thriving, is just two months old.

READ: Dad delivers premature twins at home with life-saving help from dispatcher

The Bottom Line:

Stories like this highlight the sanctity of both maternal and preborn life. In a moment of crisis, Campbell’s care did not differentiate between mother and child; both lives were of equal worth and needing medical attention. 

Campbell and other emergency dispatchers often act as unsung heroes in circumstances where life is on the line. From guiding anxious callers through CPR to acknowledging signs of obstetric emergencies like pre-eclampsia or premature labor, dispatchers often act as the first lifeline during the essential minutes that can make or break a situation.