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The Calgary Police Service not too long ago honoured three civilians and a one in every of their very own who helped save Lanny McDonald’s life when he skilled a cardiac occasion on the Calgary Worldwide Airport in February.
On Feb. 4, Rajdeep Cheema observed a person, later confirmed to be McDonald, experiencing a medical emergency, Calgary police stated in a press release. Cheema carried out CPR.
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Two off-duty nurses, Sheri Warkentin and Denise Geck, have been coming off an incoming flight once they observed the medical occasion, police say, and took over performing CPR permitting Cheema to find a defibrillator.
Calgary police Const. Jose Cives assisted the life-saving efforts. Police say the 4 folks spent roughly quarter-hour alternating between CPR and utilizing the defibrillator earlier than McDonald was stabilized and transported to hospital.
Warkentin and Geck are each nurses in Saskatchewan however didn’t know one another earlier than the incident. Warkentin stated they didn’t communicate instantly after as a result of “chaos,” although the nurses have been capable of join a number of months later by way of McDonald.
When recalling the incident, Warkentin stated she was along with her husband once they got here round a nook within the airport and “issues simply seemed bizarre.” They saved strolling earlier than noticing a person on the bottom who seemed to be receiving CPR.
She remembers handing her bag to her husband and speeding to assist. “My mind was going so quick,” she stated when recalling the occasions of the day.
Warkentin didn’t know who the person she helped was till a police officer approached her later within the airport and let her understand it was McDonald.
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“I’d have helped anybody,” she stated.
Warkentin and the officer exchanged data, and he later nominated her, together with the 2 different civilians, for the Award of Distinctive Recognition for Life Saving at Calgary Police Service Chief’s Awards Gala, which came about on Friday.
Cives spoke in regards to the incident in a video posted by the Calgary Flames to X (previously Twitter), saying he acquired a name about an grownup male who had collapsed. He attended the scene and took over a male doing chest compressions, he stated.
“There have been many instances once I thought that Lanny wasn’t gonna make it by way of, however I wasn’t gonna cease till I acquired some type of a outcome,” recalled Cives.
“He’s an area hero,” stated McDonald about Cives in the identical video.
The Flames legend made an effort to achieve out to his lifesavers as soon as he was in good well being and capable of finding their contact data. McDonald and Warkentin have been capable of communicate on the cellphone forward of the awards ceremony.
“He’s an incredible man,” stated Warkentin.
McDonald, who attended the awards ceremony along with his spouse Ardell, stated in a press release to Postmedia by way of Calgary Flames spokesperson Peter Hanlon that it was an honour to attend the occasion, and that he watched with satisfaction as “my life savers Jose, Denise, Sheri, and Rajdeep obtain their awards.
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“Because the recipient of not solely their wonderful coaching, however of their selflessness and care, I can’t clarify my gratitude for his or her courageous actions.”
He continued, saying he and his spouse have been “humbled to take a seat in a room stuffed with heroes, surrounded by first responders and residents alike who’ve made a distinction in so many lives.”
Warkentin echoed these sentiments about being on the gala, saying “it’s very humbling to be in a room of that many individuals getting such wonderful awards for his or her bravery and their management.”
McDonald stated he has 4 new lifelong mates, referring to Cheema, Warkentin, Geck and Cives, and that he’s proud to know them.
The Calgary Flames known as Cives the “epitome of a hero,” in a publish to X earlier this 12 months.
The hockey group acknowledged Cives’ half in saving McDonald’s life, sharing that McDonald, alongside a number of different former Flames, shocked Cives at a police fundraiser earlier this 12 months, bringing the Stanley Cup with them.
“I owe my life proper there to Jose,” McDonald stated in a video of the shock.
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