Lifesavers range from firefighters, paramedics, an off-duty emergency room physician and teenage bystanders to a lifeguard supervisor, AAA sales agents, a Red Cross volunteer and a Girl Scout
St. Louis, Monday, January 22, 2007 - During a ceremony in Creve Coeur today, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter presented Lifesaver Awards to residents from the St. Louis metropolitan area. A variety of citizens from all walks of life received honors during the event for preparing themselves through training and then reaching out to save a life.
The following citizens received the American Red Cross Lifesaver Award:
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Kyle Henke
of Maplewood, MO, a lifeguard supervisor for Clayton Parks and Recreation, saved the life of a high school swim team member after she stopped breathing near the side of the pool.
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James Anderson, Brett Milton, Robert Morgan, and
Mark Parker
(firefighters and paramedics from Edwardsville, IL) responded to the scene of a car accident. The team partnered with
Dr. Keith Byler
(an off-duty emergency room physician) and
Stuart Marshall
(another teenage passenger in the car) to save the life of a girl shocked by downed power lines.
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Randi Simmons
, a sophomore at Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School, saved the life of an 8-year old St. Louis girl by helping to rescue her from the bottom of a hotel swimming pool and performing CPR for nearly five minutes.
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AAA sales agents
Shawn Johnson
of O'Fallon, MO and
John Ferrara
of Des Peres, MO saved the life of their co-worker by administering first aid when a seizure left the man unconscious.
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Jackie Rahm
, a Red Cross volunteer instructor from St. Louis, performed CPR for seven minutes to save the life of her husband when he suffered cardiac arrest at home.
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Only three months after learning lifesaving skills,
Paige Stemm
(a 10-year-old Girl Scout from Belleville, IL) saved the life of her grandmother, administering abdominal thrusts to dislodge food from the woman's airway.
About the Red Cross Lifesaver Program:
The Lifesaver Award program is designed to inspire others to get trained in First Aid and CPR by recognizing local citizens who prepared themselves to respond in an emergency situation. Last year, the Red Cross trained more than 85,000 people locally in CPR and First Aid, including more than 15,000 in the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
Since 1984, the Red Cross Lifesaver Program has honored more than 300 St. Louis heroes. The program 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 provides emergency relief and preparedness training more than 410,000 times each year. The Red Cross is 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.
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