By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
LOS BANOS, Calif. — Los Banos mother Karen Garcia was 35 weeks pregnant, and throughout her pregnancy, had experienced vertigo. When she woke up at 4 a.m. on Oct. 19, the room was spinning and her medication was not helping.
Her three kids immediately acted. Garcia’s daughter called 911, and her sons provided the necessary information to the dispatcher since Garcia was too weak to speak, the Washington Post reported.
Firefighters from the Los Banos Fire Department arrived and began to help Garcia while waiting for an ambulance to transport her to the Memorial Hospital Los Banos Emergency Department.
Captain Brian Thompson stated that Garcia’s children were concerned about their mom and quite distressed. Garcia’s brother was coming to care for the children, but it would take him at least an hour to arrive.
While waiting for Garcia’s brother, the firefighters decided to stay with the three kids. They stayed in contact with Garcia’s husband and reassured him, saying, “We’ll be here until someone arrives, and we’ll care for them as if they were our own.”
Thompson, a father of six, expressed his belief that people should support each other in times of need, saying, “I would hope that somebody would do that for my children and my wife. It really does take a village. We all have to look out for one another.”
Thompson decided to keep the children occupied. He asked them about their morning routine and started by serving them orange juice. He involved them in making cinnamon sugar toast. In a few minutes, the children’s moods improved. “They were running around the house, showing us their toys and artwork,” Thompson said. “They were excited that the firefighters were there making them breakfast."
After the kids finished breakfast, the firefighters made certain they were ready for school. About 30 minutes later, the firefighters received an emergency call, and a Los Banos Police Department officer took over looking after the children until their uncle arrived to take them to school.
Garcia, who was discharged from the hospital around 6 p.m. that day, made a full recovery from the incident.