A short blog post to follow up on Gavin’s post, as I forgot to write about this.  One of the things that we did before the trip was built a first aid kit, which I get poked at on our trip for having too much stuff.  We have used some of it, but it was really designed for a what if scenario where we were hurt.  Well while driving the other day to our current location in Huaraz we drive past a car that has flipped, and cars are just beginning to pull over.  We slowed down, did a u turn and drove up to the crash site.  First thing off the car, the first aid kit.   I’m no doctor, nor paramedic, but I can say that we knew what to do- at least in making sure folks were ok until real help arrived.  

 

 I  Here’s the thing about this post and about all of this.  We do scouts because we like it, but also because it teaches real world skills.  Hayden has his first aid merit badge, and Gavin is a new scout, having just crossed over.  We all jumped out of the car and we’re ready to help.  I had surgical gloves in my kit, grabbed them and started checking on passengers.  There were three, a driver and two ladies in the back seat.  I needed help, and Hayden came over and helped out.  Gave him a pair of gloves and some gauze pads to hold on the First Lady in the back seat who’s head was bleeding.  The great thing was that he knew what to do.  He also helped diagnose that the driver probably had broken ribs and was in shock.  The driver was making phone calls while sitting in the front seat, even though he had major cuts on both hands.  I tried to give him some gauze to hold on, but he didn’t take it and let his hand bleed.  It wasn’t bad and he was alert so let him do his thing.  The other lady in the back had a huge lump on her head but was ok.  We stopped the bleeding, made sure everyone was ok and then paramedics arrived about fifteen minutes later.  The boys came up to me at one point ready to make a stretcher.

It’s one of those proud parent moments that you have kids that are willing to help… Not afraid to stick their head into a crashed car and do the right thing.  As for my first aid kit… It did a great job, and we still have glow sticks, survival food, safety sleeping bags, tape, scissors, gloves, wound sealant and more… The three passengers, after car totaled were basically fine, some minor cuts and bumps on he head, but it could have been much much worse.

Scouts teaches life skills.