Wausau Pilot & Review
A local man has been awarded the American Heart Association’s Heartsaver Hero
Award for lifesaving actions he performed in December, according to the South Area Fire and Emergency Response District.
In a news release, SAFER official Kristy Chula said crews were dispatched Dec. 17 for a lift assist. En route to to eh call, the patient became pulseless, prompting his son, James Soddy, to start CPR – a critical link in the chain of survival.
EMS arrived on the scene shortly after and continued resuscitation efforts on the
patient before transferring him to Marshfield Medical Center in Weston.
“Because of Soddy’s action, his father is alive today,” Chula wrote. “With the help of the American Heart Association, we thank James Soddy for his help in saving a life.”
Many people feel helpless when an emergency arises, Chula said.
“Many don’t know how to properly administer CPR or are afraid they will hurt the patient,” her release stated. “Early CPR improves blood and oxygen flow to vital organs, an essential component of treating cardiac arrest. By keeping the brain supplied with oxygenated blood, chances of neurological damage are decreased.”
Correctly performed bystander CPR has been shown to increase survival, but is performed in less than 30% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
Learn how to be a Heartsaver Hero at https://heart.org/heartsaverhero
