9-year-old boy in South Korea performs CPR to save his mother

Jeong Tae-un posing with officers from Bucheon Fire Station after being commended for helping to save his mother. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

SEOUL — A fire station in South Korea awarded a certificate of appreciation on March 9 to a third-grader who helped to resuscitate his mother.

The mother of nine-year-old Jeong Tae-un collapsed due to heart problems at their home in Buncheong, Gyeonggi province, around 10.20pm on Jan 8, according to Bucheon Fire Station.

The boy immediately called 119 emergency operators and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on his mother.

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The woman’s condition had been nearly critical, showing signs of agonal rhythm by the time rescue workers arrived, but the officers used a defibrillator to revive her pulse and breathing before she was taken to a nearby hospital.

She was treated for heart issues and was discharged on Jan 14.

“(When she collapsed) I immediately thought about what I had learnt in school (about CPR)… I’m glad she recovered, and I’m sure my friends could do it, too, if they stay calm and do as we learnt,” Tae-un said.

READ: CPR : Why we should learn it and how to do it

Mr Ji Jun-ho, chief of Bucheon Fire Station, praised the boy’s quick and effective response, and vowed to place more efforts on CPR training for ordinary citizens.