 Red Cross Lifesaver Awards Ceremony to Honor Local Heroes
Lifesavers range from a paramedic and retired school teacher to a teenager and church pastor
WHAT:
The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter will feature eight stories of heroism during a Lifesaver Award ceremony at Chapter Headquarters.The event is designed to recognize everyday citizens for developing lifesaving skills through Red Cross training and then being prepared to help others in their time of need. Local residents of varying ages and walks of life will be honored – from paramedics and security officers to teenagers and church pastors. In addition to these heroes, many of the people whose lives were saved will be in attendance.
Preview of Lifesaver Award Recipients:
- A paramedic from the City of St. Louis with the St. Louis Fire Department used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to help save the life of a man who suffered cardiac arrest in the Downtown YMCA men’s locker room.
- A security officer from the City of St. Louis who works at St. Louis University saved a student from choking to death by administering abdominal thrusts.
- A church pastor from Wentzville, Mo., performed three abdominal thrusts to dislodge a pill from his mother’s throat. He later used CPR to save the life of a parishioner until the paramedics arrived.
- A school counselor from Fenton, Mo., came to the aid of a five-year-old boy and administered several abdominal thrusts to dislodge a piece of candy from his throat.
- A sixteen-year-old boy from Fenton, Mo., performed abdominal thrusts on his grandfather when food got lodged in his throat. He also lifted his grandfather out of a wheelchair and laid him on the floor to do continuous chest compressions until the paramedics arrived.
- A nine-year-old girl from Belleville, Ill., saved the life of a schoolmate at High Mount School in Swansea after performing abdominal thrusts to dislodge food from her throat.
- A twelve-year-old girl from East St. Louis, Ill., saved her younger brother and sister from a house fire that nearly trapped them with flames, dense smoke and intense heat.
Preview of National Certificate of Merit Recipient:
- A retired school teacher from O’Fallon, Mo., learned Red Cross lifesaving skills before he left for a vacation trip with his wife to Cancun. While vacationing, he and his wife were having dinner with a couple they just met when the woman began choking. He administered several abdominal thrusts until the food was dislodged from her throat.
WHEN:
Monday, June 30, 2008 – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE:
American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter Headquarters
10195 Corporate Square Drive – Creve Coeur, MO
WHY:
The Red Cross Lifesaver Program has honored nearly 400 St. Louis area residents. The Lifesaver Awards are designed to inspire others to seek training in First Aid and CPR by sharing remarkable stories of local citizens who prepared themselves to respond in an emergency situation. Theprogram supports the Red Cross mission to help our communities prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies.
About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 91 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 446,600 times each year. The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org. |