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Eustis, FL –
The
Eustis City Commission, at its regular meeting on February 16, ceremoniously
recognized the lifesaving achievements of two local heroes, Melinda Redd and
Sherry Thornton, both Lake County School Board employees.
On the morning of
January 24, 2012, Melinda Redd, a School Nurse, and Sherry Thornton, a School
Social Worker, had just left Eustis Heights Elementary School enroute to visit
the home of a pre-K student when they observed a man lying on the ground in the
vicinity of Grove Street. There were a number of people standing around the
man. They immediately stopped and went to his aide. Ms. Redd assessed the
man, later identified as Darrell Reynolds, age 61, an employee of Harden-Pauli
Funeral in Eustis.
Ms. Redd
determined Mr. Reynolds was not breathing and he did not have a pulse. She
asked for someone to call 911 and immediately began to administer CPR. She and
Ms. Thornton continued to administer CPR until paramedics from the Eustis Fire
Department and Lake County’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived on scene.
Using a new
medical protocol, Dual Defibrillation Protocol, just recently approved by Lake
County’s Director of Emergency Medical Services, the paramedics were able to
resuscitate Mr. Reynolds and obtain a pulse. Mr. Reynolds was transported to
Florida Waterman Hospital, where he recently underwent open heart surgery. Mr.
Reynolds is now home recovering from his surgery.
Ms. Redd and Ms.
Thornton are to be commended for their willingness stop and render aide to Mr.
Reynolds. They initiated a chain of events that led to Mr. Reynolds surviving
what would have otherwise been a fatal episode.
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Local Heroes:
Melinda Redd (left) and Sherry Thornton (Right)
Left to right:
Chief Rex Winn, Eustis Fire Dept., Mayor Susan Hooper, Dr. Banerjee, Ralph
Habermehl, and Darrell Reynolds
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Dr. Banerjee, the
Lake County Medical Director introduced the patient, Darrell Reynolds, and gave
a short presentation of the new medical protocol that saved the patient’s life.
Banerjee presented Mr. Reynolds with a certificate inducting him into the "720
Joules Club" - the very first member!
Ralph Habermehl,
Lake County Emergency Medical Services (EMS), joined Mayor Susan Hooper in
introducing Ms. Redd and Ms. Thornton and presented the awards. Habermehl also
praised the City’s decision to begin providing Advance Life Support (ALS)
medical service beginning in 2011. Heather Burke and Kevin Livingston from Lake
County EMS and Mike Peckham, Josh Mullaly, Chuck Messer, and Jason Pepper from
Eustis Fire Department were also recognized with awards for their involvement in
the lifesaving operation.
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