[Vermont Lt]

Having stood in front of a friend who had a gun to their head, I can tell you that all of the theories in the world vaproize. Folks who weren't there were telling us, "you should have done this, you should have done that." Short of watching my friend eliminate his bowels and bladder, I can tell you there is nothing to do except what you are told.

When I see a situation like this one, I would really suggest that it is unproductive and impractical for anyone to make comments about what someone would have or could have done. The parent reacted. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Don't knock the parent.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Absolutely agree 100%!!

Of course this mother did the right thing. The local hospital was 1.5 miles away, according to Mapquest.

[Mixer]

I can tell you there is nothing to do except what you are told.

So true. I have trained and watched my friends train in the martial arts and prepare for all kinds of situations but when you are training the threat is not as real as when the real thing happens. Hopefully the training will all be applied but the situations are very different.

[blau993]

I think you aimed your response at the wrong poster. I agree with you completely.

I responded to criticism of the Mother for taking her child to the hospital herself and not waiting for EMS. While waiting may have been the "sensible" thing to do, who among us would not have done precisely what that Mom did? Police and military personnel drill constantly to achieve the goal of making the "right" decisions in moments of high stress, and even they don't always succeed. She acted on instinct, and I would never presume to second guess that reaction. She gets my prayers, not criticism.