“Then I could see that his face was blue and I knew he was in serious trouble.”

 

While Tanner doesn’t remember exactly what happened, his neck somehow ended up in one of the foot loops used for climbing.

“I will never forget the blood curdling scream I heard from Trenton,” said Matthew.  “I immediately ran out and began CPR on Tanner and Trenton called 911.  Mouth-to-mouth breathing opened Tanner’s airway and he began to breathe on his own but he was gurgling and unresponsive."

Minutes later, Golden Valley Memorial Hospital Ambulance and the Clinton Police arrived on the scene and went to work on Tanner, establishing his airway by intubating him.  Tanner then began to have seizures.

 

Lifeflight Eagle was immediately called to come to the scene .  The Clinton air craft was already in flight with another patient, so the nearby Harrisonville ship was dispatched for Tanner.  The rapid pace of Tanner’s care by the ground crew enabled LifeFlight Eagle to rendezvous with GVMH Ambulance at the Clinton helipad.   LifeFlight Eagle flight nurse Michel Hall Wofford and paramedic Andy Egstad jumped into the back of the ambulance to begin the transfer of care.

“The ambulance crew did a great job intubating Tanner and preparing him for transport,” said Wofford. “Our next step was sedating Tanner and then loading him into the air craft for transport to Children’s Mercy Hospital.”  

What would normally be close to a ninety minute drive by ground from Clinton to CMH, was covered in twenty-five minutes by Lifeflight Eagle.  Tanner was connected to a mechanical ventilator to aid his breathing during the flight.  Meanwhile, Michel and Andy monitored Tanner’s blood pressure and heart rate looking for any signs of additional intervention Tanner may have needed. 

Luckily, Tanner did very well during flight.  About fifteen minutes from landing, LifeFlight Eagle contacted Children’s Mercy Hospital to notify them of Tanner’s pending arrival.  

Just days later, Tanner was released from Children’s Mercy Hospital with a clean bill of health.  Needless to say, the rope swing in Tanner’s backyard is now gone. 

Tanner’s brain function is normal and he shows no signs of neurological damage.  He is now back to playing baseball and camping with his friends.

“We are so grateful to everyone who saved Tanner’s life,” said Matthew.  “My son is back to normal because of the incredible system of care that worked flawlessly for him.”