A stricken man. Two caring responders. One highly trained, the other not. Jessica Nussbaum has this Perspective.
Recently, my spouse and I saw a car drive erratically, albeit slowly, at an awkward five-way intersection in our neighborhood. I quickly saw what the other driver was seeing - a man lying face- down on a lawn nearby. My wife called 911 as I ran over to the man.
No, this is not a hero story. He raised his head and indicated he wanted to get up. While I was encouraging him to take it slowly, the young woman in the other car also arrived.
I am part of the Alameda Community Emergency Response Team. I keep my certification up to date. I have taken many CPR classes. I rushed to the scene thinking I knew what to do. But I learned a great lesson from the young driver who initially brought my attention to the scene.
As we tried to assess the man’s injuries, I was focused on his physical condition. “Do you want to sit?” “Can you stand?” “Conserve your energy...”.