Cardiac victim survives to thank Life Time employees and OFPD
An Orland Park man who suffered cardiac arrest while exercising at Life Time Fitness expressed his gratitude on Tuesday (June 26, 2018) to the four employees of the fitness center and members of the Orland Fire Protection District whose actions saved his life.
Michael Sanocki told a meeting of the Orland Fire Protection District Board that he was exercising at Life Time on May 9 when he became short of breath and then passed out, not realizing he was experiencing cardiac arrest.
Four of Life Time’s employees came to his rescue and provided CPR, used the AED and called 911, saving his life.
Sanocki said he woke up not realizing that he almost died.
The Orland Fire Protection District honored the four Life Time Fitness Orland Park employees for their quick action in saving Sanocki’s life, presenting them with the “Battalion Chief William Bonnar, Sr. Citizen Lifesaving Award”.
This Life Saving Award is given for actions that directly saved a life. Although paramedics responded to the 911 emergency call quickly, the efforts of the employees helped make the difference, OFPD Fire Chief Michael Schofield said.
“Those first few minutes are critical in saving a life and when employees and members of the public are trained to provide CPR or operate an AED, it increases the chances of survival when the paramedics arrive,” Schofield said, adding he is proud of the fitness employees and the paramedics who saved Sanocki’s life.
“When it comes to cardiac arrest, the Orland Fire Protection District has one of the highest save rates in the Midwest. That means we save lives.”
Life Time Fitness employees Rickey Cruz, Jason Fox, Cooper Garland and Jerome Jasper saw Sanocki collapse and immediately administered lifesaving assistance including administering CPR, calling 9-1-1, and using the Fitness Center’s AED unit to defibrillate Sanocki.
“Their quick actions resulted in a successful resuscitation allowing Orland Fire Protection District Paramedics to continue the care and delivering the resuscitated Sanocki to a local hospital Emergency Room where his vital signs were stabilized,” said OFPD Lt. EMS Coordinator Mark Duke.
Sanocki was grateful to the efforts of the fitness center employees and the paramedics, who included OFPD Crew members Truck 4 Lt. Bob Griffin, Eng. Mike Meyrick, FireFighter Paramedic Jeff Ruchniewicz; Ambulance 4 Firefighter and Paramedic Brandon Klekamp, and Firefighter Paramedic Chuck Murray.
“They’re all my heroes,” Sanocki told the Orland Fire Protection District board meeting.
For more information visit www.OrlandFire.org
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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