Work that Makes a Difference
Jessica Jones, Brewster’s Meadowlark Neighborhood Nurse Manager was recently invited to speak at the 2023 Trauma and Critical Care Symposium hosted by Stormont Vail. Jessica spoke about two instances in which she used CPR to save lives in the community.
In December 2020, at the peak of COVID, Jessica was shopping at Five Below for a Christmas gift for her daughter. While Jessica was shopping, she heard a commotion and went to see what was happening.
As she approached, she saw that the woman was not breathing. Onlookers thought she was having a seizure however, Jessica recognized that the woman was having a heart attack. She immediately turned the woman on her back and began giving CPR. Jessica did the chest compressions while another shopper began breaths. Onlookers were concerned about the possibility of Jessica and the other CPR performer being exposed to COVID. Jessica said, “We knew God was going to keep us safe because we were helping another human being.”
“… beautiful,
incredible CPR…
clean and perfect.”
Witnesses were interviewed, including the EMT responder. When asked what the EMT remembered when responding to the call, he reflected “I remember walking in and seeing beautiful, incredible CPR happening. Everything was clean and just perfect.” He said that in the moment, everyone knew what had to be done and worked together to get it done.
The survivor of the incident also appeared on stage with Jessica and was able to meet some of the people who responded to the scene. She expressed gratitude to them and how grateful she was to be alive today.
As the importance of CPR certification in the general public was emphasized, the survivor added, “Just because I died, doesn’t mean I don’t want to live.” She was very grateful for the CPR Jessica performed to bring her back to life.
As the conversation continued,
the moderator
mentioned that this was
not the first time
that Jessica had used CPR to save a life.
In 2017, Jessica graduated from nursing school but had not taken her state boards yet. Jessica and her husband decided it was a good time to put in a swimming pool at their home. The family was gathered at Jessica’s home to celebrate her graduation and the new pool. She went back in the house to change into her swim suit when she heard a commotion outside around the pool.
She looked out the window and heard her mother-in-law yelling “she’s not breathing!” The rest of the family thought that her daughter had gone with Jessica back in the house to change. But, she hadn’t.
Her daughter had slipped on the pool ladder and was found on the bottom of the pool, purple, unresponsive and no pulse. Jessica immediately started praying and doing CPR on her daughter. She was able to recover a heartbeat before AMR arrived on the scene. Jessica said in the moment she couldn’t emotionally process what had happened.
“You did a great job!”
At the hospital, the doctor asked if “Mom” was the one who had completed the CPR. Jessica said she was. The doctor told her, “You did a great job! There was no water left in her lungs!”
It was in that moment that the magnitude of what had happened to her and her daughter overwhelmed her, and she fell to her knees in tears, thanking God that her baby was still alive.
significantly increases the survival rate
in cases like this. Even if the ambulance is able to arrive in 3-4 minutes, that is 3-4 minutes some cases may not have to spare.
Jessica was recognized and applauded for the lives she has saved.
