Per my previous item, last night Cincinnati Reds baseball team representative Rob Butcher accused me of being "on some kind of mission to prevent people from helping others."
What did I do to elicit such opprobrium?
I asked him for information about ballplayer Todd Frazier's apparent endorsement of "Heimlich Heroes," a first aid training program in Ohio schools that includes performing the Heimlich maneuver on unconscious choking victims.
Here's a clip from one of the program's training videos:
As I reported last month, representatives of the American Red Cross and the American Red Cross told me they don't recommend the treatment.
And, per my previous item, "Heimlich Heroes" program manager Terri Huntington has refused to answer a number of reasonable questions I've submitted.
For example, would she please direct me to any published research studies, to any medical organizations, and/or to any licensed medical professionals that recommend performing "the Heimlich" on unconscious choking victims?
Because I can't find any.
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Despite the Rodney Dangerfield treatment I've gotten from the two Cincinnati organizations, my self-esteem just got a boost from the other side of the globe.
Via Lifesaving spaniel earns pat on the head from Heimlich by reporter Guto Llewellyn published this morning in the Carmarthen Journal:
Lifesaving spaniel Mollypops has been praised by none other than the son of the inventor of the Heimlich manoeuvre.Based on my recent experiences with Rob Butcher and Terri Huntington, to get some pointers on how to deal with the media, their masters might wish to consult Mollypops.
Owner Rachel Hayes, 40, from Drefach Felindre, had been choking on a chew sweet for several minutes and believed she was about to die until her pet jumped on her back, dislodging the sweet.
Since the Carmarthen Journal reported the story last week news of Mollypops's heroism has spread across the world, even drawing the attention of Peter Heimlich, whose father Henry invented the Heimlich manoeuvre.
The Heimlich manoeuvre involves using a series of abdominal thrusts on a choking victim in a bid to dislodge the item. However, the technique has been called into question, and by now it is advised that people follow St John Ambulance advice instead of the Heimlich manoeuvre. This involves using hard blows on the upper back of the victim.
Peter Heimlich said: "I give big props to Mollypops. Based on what I've read in the Journal, she's strictly up to date on St John Ambulance's first aid recommendations, plus she kept her cool in a stressful situation.
"I'd urge all creatures great and small to follow her example and learn how to respond to choking and other medical emergencies."
...Mollypops only needed one blow to save her owner's life, and Rachel says she is delighted with the recognition her dog is receiving.
She said: "It's really good. I have just been overwhelmed by the attention her story has received, and it's amazing to hear Mr Heimlich say that she did the right thing."
