By Mandy Feder —
Strangers share space in a dining room.
It”s almost the weekend and maybe the only commonality the people in the room share is that nobody really felt like cooking that night.
But in a moment, these people would have intimate knowledge of each other. They would touch, care, pray and become emotionally invested in the lives of people they had not seen or talked to before.
That”s what happened last week.
Lake County Law Librarian Casse Waldman Forczek went to a hamburger restaurant on the northshore for a bite to eat.
She and her son were waiting at the counter for their food order.
All of a sudden she heard a yell. “Call an ambulance,” a woman”s voice pleaded.
Forczek saw the back of a man”s head violently shaking. He was having a seizure.
Forczek rushed to the booth and positioned the man”s head to prevent choking. His eyes were rolling back in his head. His jaw clenched and there were no signs of breath.
Forczek instructed the man”s girlfriend to open his mouth to prevent choking.
Because he was still seated and unconscious, Forczek called for help as several people pulled him out, and lifted him safely to the floor where Forczek began administer CPR. She checked, he had no pulse.
“After several strong compressions, I instructed his girlfriend to hold his nose and breathe into his mouth, while I told a man standing there watching, to hold the victim”s head back so he could breath, and to stop his head from striking the floor. After three or four rounds of compression and mouth-to-mouth, his eyes opened weakly, then closed, giving us hope to continue. Though he was still unconscious, he miraculously showed some signs of breathing. We were greatly relieved when the rescue team from Northshore Fire Protection District arrived a few minutes later,” Forczek said. “This is not the first time that my training during the time I worked with IBM has come to the assistance of someone in serious trouble. I highly recommend that if one has the opportunity, please take a course in life-saving CPR.”
That is good advice.
Though Forczek directed, all of the customers and employees worked together to help.
A pastor entered the restaurant and made the observation that everyone did everything right — from the family calling out for help, to the employee calling 9-1-1, to an alert customer who provided CPR and took charge of the situation and another customer who held the door open so the emergency personnel could come in and out quickly.
Perhaps it was his good fortune or karma. After all, this young man who appeared to be heading toward the light in a Lucerne restaurant, donated one of his kidneys to his mother.
When all was said and done, he sent an email to the person who may have saved his life:
“Ms. Forczek, It”s a bit strange to do this via email, but I wanted to get the message to you sooner rather than later.
“I cannot begin to express my thanks and gratitude for your quick actions last week after I experienced a medical emergency at the Fosters Freeze in Lucerne.
“While I am still undergoing tests and treatment, I am well on my way to recovering. If it was not for your actions I may not have been as fortunate. On behalf of myself and my family I will never be able to repay my debt of gratitude.
“I recently relocated to Lake County from the Bay Area where I spent the last 10 years working in law enforcement at the municipal level. Through that time I experienced many types of first responder-type emergencies and was often amazed at how people either are incapable of reacting and more alarming are unwilling to get involved.
“Thank you for being a hero. We need more people like you. Once again, thank you, if there is anything I can ever do to repay this humble debt — please do not hesitate to call upon me.”
Wow, what a beautiful portrait of a community bonding experience.
Does it always happen that way? No, I can attest to this with a personal account.
I was in Lake Tahoe with my friend Mike. As I enjoyed a heaping plate of raw oysters with lemon and habanero hot sauce, I noticed a man pacing. He looked to be in his 80s. He was holding his throat and his face was getting really red.
His wife sat at the table and asked him three or four times, “What”s wrong with you? What are you doing?”
I jumped up and performed the Heimlich Maneuver. A piece of steak became dislodged and lobbed out of his mouth.
The crimson/purple color faded from his face and he took a deep breath.
He turned and looked at me briefly and then without a word returned to his table. He took a sip from his water glass, said a few words to his wife and continued on with his meal.
No handshake, no thank you, no nothing.
I thought for a second, while I stood alone in that spot in the middle of the restaurant. I didn”t do that for recognition or appreciation anyway. I did it because it was innate. I know first aid and CPR.
Each time I took a CPR class the instructor would say, “We hope you never have to use these skills, but in a life-or-death situation, you”ll be glad you have them.”
I was glad that I was able to potentially save a life, for my own peace of mind, even if that guy I helped didn”t care.
I started learning CPR during grade school. I took courses pretty regularly and it became a part of my knowledge base.
It”s a skill set that I think every person should acquire, as much as reading, writing or math.
To access class information about CPR training, visit the American Red Cross website at www.redcross.org. Follow the menu and click on “preparing to get trained,” enter your zip code in the category of “within a 50-mile radius.”
To learn more about CPR and other valuable training call toll-free 800-445-8210 for English or 800-445-8223 for Spanish.
Mandy Feder is the Managing Editor at Lake County Publishing. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 ext. 32. Follow on Twitter @mandyfeder1.
