Lee Trawick: Reporter2@riverbendnews.org
On Wednesday, June 14, Suwannee County Fire Rescue (SCFR) responded to a 911 call reporting a man was in cardiac arrest inside Live Oak's Winn-Dixie. The 911 dispatcher informed SCFR bystanders had begun cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but still needed immediate emergency medical care. Upon arriving on scene, first responders found the bystanders, Ana Gienger and Stephan Little, performing CPR on the male in question. SCFR then performed advanced life support actions, including the use of a Lucas 2 Automatic Compression device. The patient was resuscitated successfully and was transported to HCA Florida Suwannee Emergency for further evaluation. Now, he is home and recovering with his family, largely due to the quick response and awareness of CPR techniques by Gienger and Little. Gienger was previously a part-time school bus driver for the Suwannee County School District and had taken the SCFR CPR training course. "Every month, we offer free CPR training classes at the library, and to learn Gienger had previously taken one of our classes makes this even more special," Suwannee County Fire Chief Eddie Hand said. Today, Gienger is a full-time manager at Winn-Dixie. She was on duty in the produce section when she noticed a male patron bending over, grabbing the shelves beside him when he collapsed, "When I saw him go down, it was go, I just reacted," Gienger said. "Then, when everything was over, I was exhausted." Also shopping nearby was Little, who immediately jumped into action without training for the task. He selflessly followed the advice of Gienger and assisted in performing CPR; the two worked endlessly until SCFR arrived. Gienger recalls, "If I remember right, we lost him three times, and were able to bring him back all three times until EMS arrived." As a result of their actions, the patient was ultimately able to return home to his family, where he and his wife have since celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. On Thursday, June 29, Gienger and Little were honored for their selfless and courageous actions that led to saving the life of the customer. The two individuals were each awarded a life-saving award by the SCFR. Joining them in the ceremony were the patient's wife and two daughters; the patient, himself, could not attend, as he was recovering from a related procedure. The family of the male patient was beyond grateful to the heroes on the scene that played vital roles in saving their father and husband's life. Fire Chief Hand praised the actions of Gienger and Little, along with his team of responders, Sarah Jarrett, Jonathan Rance and Lt. Wes Schneider. "Ultimately, God played the biggest role here, but it was their actions that allowed His work to come through their hands and save his life," Hand said. As part of their community outreach program, SCFR offers free CPR training at the Live Oak Public Library one Saturday each month. They teach basic first-aid techniques and CPR skills that may save someone's life.