Quick-thinking Gina Cherry helps to save life of man in supermarket
Quick-thinking Gina Cherry recently put her knowledge and skills into action to help save the life of a man who collapsed in a supermarket.
Gina, who started as a healthcare assistant with DCHS, has since qualified as a nursing associate and is now an apprentice student nurse, quickly called 999, administered aspirin and got a defibrillator on standby. Her actions have been praised by the man and his family.
“On the day my partner had actually gone shopping on his own, but he called me to say he hadn't remembered a pound for the trolley so I said ‘oh don't worry I’ll drive down to bring you one and come and join you’,” said Gina.
“I'd only been in the shop 10 minutes when I noticed a gentleman looking wobbly in the aisle, so I managed to catch up and lower him to the floor.
“I called 999 but he was in and out of consciousness so I stayed on the floor with him while my partner went to fetch aspirin and to locate a defibrillator – I was preparing as much as I could in case the ambulance didn’t arrive in time. His eyes were rolling back at one point and I thought I might lose him.”
Gina administered aspirin and stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. The man went on to suffer a cardiac arrest and received emergency surgery at hospital.
“I have been overwhelmed with appreciation from the man himself, his wife and two daughters,” said Gina. “It was so nice to hear from the man himself when he was back home with his family for Christmas – and he thanked me so much for that.
“I am genuinely a caring and empathetic person and I would say I felt a professional and personal duty to respond to the incident at the time and it was just instinct to put my knowledge and skills into practice.
“It was a very rewarding experience that day and something I will never forget.”
