Between 2005 and 2017, over 900 people lost their lives because of carbon monoxide poisoning, while thousands suffered injuries while using portable generators.
According to experts, generators should never be used inside a living space- in fact, they must be placed at least 20 feet from the house, making sure that the engine exhaust is directed away from doors and windows.
Unfortunately, many people overlook the dangers that a generator can pose if improperly used.
This especially occurs after storms, when they are desperate and all they want to do is try to save their homes that have been awfully damaged.
However, this can prove fatal, and they may not even have the chance to call for help. This is because carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless gas that can kill a person if its levels are high enough inside a room.
Typical symptoms include dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, loss of consciousness, and eventually death if not treated immediately.
This is almost what happened to a Massachusetts family during a Nor’easter that raged across the area.
9-year-old Jayline Barbosa Brandao was at home with her family, when her parents decided to run the generator after the area had gone for days without power.
However, they didn’t know that their generator was not in a safe place, so when they turned it on, the first floor of their home on Menlo Street started filling up with poisonous gas.
Jayline’s mom was the first one to be affected by the gas, and she soon passed out.
“I thought it was just a headache, then 2-3 minutes I didn’t feel anything after that,” Brandao’s mother told Boston25 News.
When her husband saw her unconscious, he screamed and their daughter rushed for help.
The 4th grader took her father’s phone and tried to unlock it. She brilliantly used her dad’s face to do so, since he too had been overtaken by the poisonous gas. Then while keeping calm, she called 911.
When Brockton Fire arrived at the house, they found a woman in and out of consciousness, while there were two more adults and two kids in the house, all of whom were showing signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
They were all taken to hospital, where they were treated for gas poisoning.
Firefighters measured the carbon monoxide levels in the house, finding it to be over 1,000 parts per million. This level is high enough to kill someone, depending on how long they are exposed to it.
Sadly, this was not the only family in the area in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. According to a local news source, several fire departments in the area responded to calls that had something to do with generators after the storm.
Tonight, in front of a group of elected officials, City Hall Employees, students and educational professionals, Jayline Brandao was honored at City Hall by Mayor Robert Sullivan. pic.twitter.com/AdcuLzFEXy
— City of Brockton (@CityBrockton) November 10, 2021
Although this could have been the story of a tragedy, thanks to a little girl’s calmness and decisiveness, it is now the story of a young hero who saved her family.
“Oh yes she did I wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t in the house,” her mother said- and it is entirely true.
The girl was honored at the local City Hall by Mayor Robert Sullivan.
Watch the video below to see more on this unforgettable story!
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