Friday’s Hero Provided Critical Assistance to Caregiver

March 4, 2011

On Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 8:31 p.m. an emergency call was made by a resident at a home on Sunset Gardens SW. The caller’s mother, who was 74 years old, had fallen down and hit her head due to what was later determined to be a brain aneurysm. When the son called 911, his mother was not breathing and had a large cut on her head from her fall.

Dispatcher Sveum told the victim’s son how to perform CPR, giving him very detailed instructions while reassuring him and keeping him calm during the stressful situation. Sveum provided the caller important information including emphasizing to him to keep pressure on the head wound.

Unfortunately, the elderly woman passed away at the hospital due to another aneurysm. Her son conveyed how grateful he was for the dispatcher and the paramedics’ crew for helping to keep his mother alive long enough for his family to gather at the hospital and say their proper farewells.

“Dispatcher Sveum did everything right and everything in his power to help this man deal with the medical emergency involving his mother. It speaks volumes that despite the loss he has experienced, this gentleman took the time to commend Dispatcher Sveum for his extraordinary work on this particular call,” said Mayor Berry.