"I took a call from a mother who found her 12 year old son "not breathing". She was upset but able to work with me to try to help her son. When we got to the point on the protocol where I instructed her to get him flat on the floor and remove any pillows her response was she could not get him to the floor. I had her get a neighbor to help her get this task done. When the neighbor walked into the room I could hear him say to the child's mother "oh man, he's dead". Not too long after that the responders arrived and I didn't know what the outcome was. Life works in a funny way as a couple of days later I saw someone I knew and had not seen in a while. When I asked her how she was doing she said "not well my friend's son hung himself". I was shocked to find out she knew that mother that I had tried to help. Sometimes even though its hard you can find closure in places you never thought you would!"
- Angela Purvis, Columbia/Boone County Public Safety Joint Communications
