Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R) and Legislator Tom Donnelly (D) came together on March 6th to celebrate a Deer Park resident who put her CPR certification to noble use.
Together with members of Long Island’s American Red Cross chapter, the esteemed dignitaries presented Magnolia Garcia with a most prestigious proclamation.
This merit of achievement was first issued in 1911, and has been granted to thousands since who have equally exhibited extraordinary personal action by saving a life in a voluntary capacity.
Garcia—also proud mother to a toddler named Tommy, adorably seen partaking in the deserved rounds of applause sent Magnolia’s way on Thursday—was at a doctor’s appointment recently when an alert came through on the PulsePoint app.
“I ran across the street,” Garcia recalled, “and found a man on the ground. He was not breathing. He had no pulse. I immediately started CPR.”
The Disaster Action Team (DAT) captain cites the training American Red Cross provided her was instrumental to the save, though also humbly deflects credit to the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) responders.
“Once I started CPR, the person that was with him was on the phone with 9-1-1. I was doing it for 5 minutes; no one else around knew how to do it," said Garcia.
"The Fire Department and EMS got there. They delivered a shot and got the pulse back. I was really grateful to the departments who came to help us.”
March may be Red Cross Month, of which the first was declared by President Franklin D. Roosevelt amidst World War II in 1943, according to Romaine; but, as the Red Cross' Long Island CEO Jason Dominguez notes, the organization congregates and operates all year round. “We provide services free of charge to anybody who needs them in cases of emergency."
“It’s a beautiful day, birds are chirping, we are currently in our ‘Red Cross era,’” Dominguez memorably quipped to commence his statement.
He continued: “And as my best friend Taylor Swift has said, ‘you know, the best people in life are free”—an allusion to Dominguez’s dressed-in-red volunteers on hand who “so eloquently” ribbed him good for failing to don the organization’s signature color for the occasion, beyond sock-wear.
“90 percent of our workforce are made up of volunteers,” Dominguez revealed. “They are high-maintenance—I can tell you that!—but we love them. They literally donate over 60,000 hours of service to the Red Cross.”
Beyond commending Garcia, Dominguez also thanked County Executive Romaine for the invite, the legislators present for their support, “and our friends at FRES… an acronym I just learned.”
“Pulsepoint—get that app,” Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES) Commissioner Rudy Sunderman insisted. “If you want to get CPR, stop by your local fire or EMS agency and register for a class. It’s important. If you learn CPR, you can save someone’s life.”
Interested in donating to a good cause, or learning CPR? Volunteer at the American Red Cross or FRES, or visit www.redcross.org to get involved.
"This is all about neighbors and friends helping one another," said Romaine. "You too can be a lifesaver.”