Tag: trauma

How a ‘Kiss of Life’ could help save a man from certain death?

This photo won a Pulitzer in 1968. Rocco Morabito of Florida was the photographer. 

On a dull, boring day in the office, Mr. Morabito heard a group of workers from Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) shouting. He saw a lineman hanging unconscious on the top of an electric high-tension power pole. 

Mr. Morabito quickly reached the spot and dialled for an ambulance. Before he could get a grip of what was going on, he took out his camera and started taking pictures. A poignant scene which he couldn’t afford to miss, as a photographer.

This linesman, Mr. Randall Champion fell unconscious after touching a 4000-volt electric wire. There was a commotion on the ground and everyone was shouting “help”. 

Mr. Thompson, who just saw the whole incident from about 400 ft away on the power pole, had quickly jumped to his colleague’s rescue. 

He grabbed him, pulled him off the smoking wire and gave him mouth-to-mouth CPR. At once.

CPR is short for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, by which a person can breathe air into the lungs of an unconscious person through mouth-to-mouth. That is to keep the injured person conscious before paramedics arrive at the spot. 

Mr. Thomson pumped air into his colleague’s lungs and checked if he started breathing. 

He indeed survived. Thank god!

Morabito stood shocked. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He knew he was doing one of the best assignments yet.

This picture was suitably titled ‘Kiss of Life’ and it went viral the next day. The world spoke about the picture. People spoke about what CPR was and how it could help bring a man’s life back. 

This picture is still revered as one of the best in photography.

All ended on a happy note as Mr. Champion survived, and you won’t believe he went on to live another 35 years. 

His colleague, Mr. Thomson, when asked about the heroic day he said he just did his job. He helped his friend and colleague.

In fact, this incident and the photo helped popularize what CPR was.

A ‘Kiss of Life’ is not just a guarantee of someone’s dear life, but a tiny act of kindness can save life and unite complete strangers into a life-long friendship. 

The linesmen and the award-winning photographer were friends for a long time after this incident. 

Catch it, Bin it, Kill it. And Write a Blog About it!

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

The virus hit India in 2020. The pandemic took us by dozens. Some of us have miraculously recovered. It has been a tough year. 

Many deaths. Hospitals in Chennai, Tamilnadu were full. We have seen ambulances operating 24/7. Doctors and staff were working day and night attending to infected patients.

Only the arrival of vaccines brought a stop to the spread. That’s not the end of the story.

No vaccines can prevent 100% of infections. The second wave hit us big. It was much worse.

People have stayed mostly indoors. The lockdown affected our daily lives. The business houses were shut.

‘Living with the Virus’ was how many of us have sadly adapted. The deadly virus continued to mutate and caused havoc in people’s lives.

The cities in India have taken ages to come back to normal.

We avoided crowds, maintained distance and always wore masks. Hand sanitizers have become a part of our daily ritual.

Offices run mostly through Zoom meetings. Many have lost jobs. I, too, have lost mine.

I suffered from sleep disturbances. Many of us don’t feel alright with our mental health. Such is the trauma.

We do yoga and sit in meditation for longer hours. We have been advised to do deep breathing as exercise to come clean from the trauma. 

And the big plus is I have got time to write. My blogs are now regular. One every day, at least.

Remote working is the new hope. Many corporate companies offer jobs to people who choose to work from home. But at what cost?

Companies fear productivity will suffer when people will work from home.

But a poll in the UK has proved their fear wrong. 

53% of respondents in a survey (post Covid19) comprising of 1500 participants said they felt much better mentally when working from home. 

The survey included both the owners of business houses and employees of companies. 

And they said further that the productivity also didn’t suffer because of the switch. Good!

I eat, work and sleep. All in the same place now. 

I know now how to defeat a deadly virus which killed many millions. No fear!