A Close Call and The Heros That Answered It In Aurora
Earlier this month, we received a letter that touched all of our hearts. It was the kind of happy news we love to get here at The Mikey Network. We wanted to share it with you, the Mikey family, because you make this happen. Your support allows us to place MIKEYs (AEDs) where they are needed. Your support saves lives.
We also want to congratulate the staff at Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex for the way they handled this emergency. You are truly heros!
Here is the letter, reprinted with permission:
Hello Mikey Network!
I wanted to share my story with you and say thank you, since the Mikey Network has put several AED units in the Town of Aurora facilities including the one specifically at the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex.
On Monday August 8, 2011 we performed CPR on a woman approximately 65 years old from the Cobblestone Retirement Lodge in Aurora who was attending a leisure swim at 2pm at the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex pool. The lady came in complaining of thirst before the swim started. When the lifeguard checked on her 15 minutes later she said she still felt unwell, was having difficultly breathing and was holding her chest.
The Lifeguard removed her from the pool and took her to the lifeguard office where she transferred her care to two other lifeguards on off duty rotation. They assessed her, checked pulse and approximately 10 minutes later she started to have what appeared to be a seizure with no history of seizure disorder. She collapsed, they placed her on the floor, checked breathing and pulse and determined she was VSA. They started CPR, another lifeguard activated EMS. My full time Deck Supervisor notified the aquatic staff to clear the pool and he then ran to get the AED unit off the wall and notified me on the way as my office is located right beside the AED unit.
Meanwhile the two lifeguards only got to 15 compressions and the lady came to. They monitored her breathing and pulse and kept her airway open. They had just stopped CPR when my FT staff and I arrived on scene in the lifeguard office. I passed out gloves to all my staff and I applied the AED pads to the patient and the unit immediately assessed the victim. It told us, “No Shock Advised” and to start CPR (which I thought was odd, because the patient was awake), but almost instantly she went unconscious, staff assessed Nonbreathing/No Pulse and started CPR, my full time staff person gave her only 5 compressions and she came to again.
She starting speaking to me at that point and was coherent, giving us emergency contact information of her brother including his phone number while the unit completed another analysis. A few minutes later she went unconscious again for the third time, we checked breathing and I started compressions giving her approximately 12 compressions before she came to again, approximately 1 minute later EMS arrived on scene and took over care.
She was transported to South Lake Regional Hospital, and was released that evening at 8:30pm!!! Can you believe it? My staff were amazing, it was a very busy leisure swim, with almost 200 people in the pool. All have returned back to work and are thrilled by the outcome.
Our thanks goes to the Mikey Network, because it’s not everyday that one gets the privilege to save another persons life!
Loriann Ierullo
Aquatic Supervisor
Parks and Recreation Services
Town of Aurora
Thank you again to Lorainn and her staff for their heroic action, and for reminding us that “it’s not everyday that one gets the privilege to save another persons life!”
