My morning started with coffee…and lifesaving.

As I walked past the coffee cart, trying to resist a vanilla soy latte (I failed), owner Nancy stopped me with a story.

Turns out that her sister Julie, a respiratory therapist, was at a wake recently when a friend tapped her on the arm and pointed to a women who just didn’t look quite right.

As the older lady turned blue, Julie rushed over to help. While someone else called 911, she checked the airway for any blockages and then went right to it and started performing chest compressions and rescue breaths. And sure enough, the lady’s pulse came back.

After a stay in the ICU, it now appears that the lady will be fine, thanks to the quick thinking of Nancy’s smart sister!

The one lesson learned from the incident? Carry a breathing barrier. Even though Julie had just bought a first aid kit from our store, she didn’t have a face mask handy. But proud sister Nancy is picking up a keychain version for her today.

Photo courtesy of Walkinonsunshine