Survivors given opportunity to say thanks for second chance

By Pat Bailey

Cheryl Smith remembers hoisting a few shovelfuls of dirt and then sitting down — she has absolutely no memory of what happened next on July 14, 2010.

But on Friday morning she learned some of the details that she is unable to fill in — such as going into cardiac arrest and being resuscitated.

Smith was one of a handful of Windsor and Essex County residents who lived to tell the tale of the importance of quick thinking and immediate response in a cardiac emergency.
The 63-year-old Essex woman came face-to-face with those who were responsible for saving her life — members of the Essex Fire Department as well as paramedics from Essex Windsor EMS at the 1st Annual Survivors' Day event at the Essex Civic Centre.
Randy Mellow, chief of Essex Windsor EMS, said the event was held to acknowledge the importance of involvement and teamwork from the moment a cardiac incident begins — from recognizing the symptoms, to calling 911, to performing CPR, to applying the defibrillator.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.