In The Right Place, at the Right Time
Quick work of Illini staff saves woman’s Life
SILVIS, ILLINOIS - Johanne Hines had performed CPR numerous times before as an emergency medical technician in Cordova, Ill. Each time it was too late to save the patient.
On Oct. 19, Hines was in the right place at the right time to help save the life of Kathy Holliday, a 60-year-old mother of three daughters and grandmother of nine from Bolingbrook, Ill.
Holliday, who was in the Quad Cities visiting friends and was planning to attend a meeting at the Larson Center at the Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus, slumped to the floor near the elevators at about 5:30 p.m.
“I had only parked my car a few minutes earlier. I could have been driving, which is pretty scary,’’ Holliday explained. “I was feeling disoriented for about 30 seconds before I went down. The last thing I remember thinking is, ‘Oh my gosh, something is very wrong.’’’
A courier was waiting for the elevator when Holliday collapsed. The courier told a laboratory employee, who passed the word to Hines, the office supervisor in the Illini laboratory located in the Larson Center.
Hines sprung into action, starting CPR on Holliday.
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. The best I could do was get a couple of agonal (troubled) breaths from her before the code team arrived with advanced life support equipment. Dr. Danna (emergency physician Joseph Danna, M.D.) directed the code team through her defibrillation resuscitation. She was then taken to the Emergency Department,’’ Hines explained.
Hines checked with the Emergency Department at Illini before she left for the day. She knew Holiday had survived, but then she lost track of her. Holliday was transferred to Genesis, East Rusholme Street. For a week she underwent testing and received a pacemaker implanted by Dr. Blair Foreman, a Genesis Heart Institute electrophysiologist.
Holliday survived because of the quick work of a people whose names she didn’t know.
“All I knew was that there were a lot of people who saved my life. This is very emotional for me,’’ Holliday said, fighting through tears. “I don’t know how to thank the people there enough. I’m still here for my three daughters, three sons-in-law and nine grandchildren because of the care I received in Silvis and Davenport.’’
Holliday called Hines to thank her personally. It was very nice to hear from her and to know that she is doing well,’’ Hines said. “As you might imagine, it was a very emotional conversation.’’
In her letter to Genesis staff, Holliday wrote: “I will never know who you are, but please accept our Thanksgiving in a BIG WAY. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL ... Thank you.’’
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