What do you do for someone who saves your life?  How do you thank them? 

If you are Deanna Premo, you nominate that person for a Red Cross Lifesaving Award and invite the media to come cover the ceremony.  Deanna Premo is the office manager at KPMG on the 38^th floor of the Wells Fargo Tower in downtown Portland.  Today, she wears a pacemaker, seems to have a permanent smile on her face, and is counting down the days until her retirement.  That is a milestone she would have never reached if Ryan Hover hadn’t performed CPR on her when her heart stopped in the office the year before.   

On August 13, 2025, on that same 38^th floor, with a room full of KPMG coworkers, Premo’s family, Red Cross staff, and TV cameras, they are ready to reflect on their amazing experience.  

Deanna: “I want to make sure Ryan is recognized for stepping in, for performing CPR and quite frankly for saving my life.”

Ryan: “It just seemed like the right thing to do, and it worked out.”

So what brought them to this day of celebration? Here’s the answer in their own words.

Deanna: “The week before I wasn’t feeling well.  I had COVID but a few days later, I felt better.  So, I came to work with a mask on Wednesday, and on Thursday I collapsed at my desk. The person who found me in the office,  later came to visit me in the hospital and she explained that she had come over to my desk to see me and I was slumped over my chair making a strange noise.  The doctors say that’s the sound you make when your heart stops.   She started screaming and everything went into motion.  And then came Ryan.”  One person called 9-1-1 and no one else knew how to give CPR so Ryan stepped in.  He gave me CPR for 5 to 7 minutes.”

Ryan: I was walking around the office, and I heard a commotion down the hall.  People were gathered around Deanna’s desk, and I could see she had lost consciousness.  I noticed she wasn’t breathing.  I checked her pulse, and she did not have a pulse.  We asked, ‘does anyone know CPR?’ and there was no immediate answer, but her heart had stopped, so I just started doing it. It was important because Deanna is a large part of our office family.”  

Deanna: “You know it’s almost impossible to thank someone for that.  If it hadn’t been for Ryan, I wouldn’t be here.  If I had stayed at home sick, I would have been home alone, and I wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t be retiring in three weeks.  I truly think by the grace of God, I came in that day.”

Ryan: “I just kept doing CPR until the EMT’s arrived. It’s difficult to stay calm in those situations, but knowing this individual needs your help can trump any fears you may have.” 

Deanna: Ryan just being who Ryan is which is just kind and thoughtful and him jumping in….um, like I say, I wouldn’t be here. I spent 13 days in the hospital and if I haven’t made a 100% recovery, it’s dang close.”

Ryan: “Deanna has been the cornerstone of this office and has been always there when you need her, she knows every single answer you can ask about the office and is known to everybody.”

Deanna (on CPR): “Nobody expects to have a heart attack or cardiac arrest, nobody knows when they are going to need CPR.  Taking training and getting recertified can ultimately end up save somebody’s life, it certainly saved my life.”

Ryan (on CPR): I can tell you we had a CPR class in the office a short time afterwards and it was very well attended.  I think it’s a valuable life skill to have.”

If you’d like to nominate s hero in your community or if you’d like to sign up to take a CPR class, go to: RedCross.org/take-a-class

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