Posted on 05/09/2014
Bianca Weber

My daughter, Bianca Weber, joined the Chatham Emergency Squad shortly after her 16th birthday and has now been an EMT for three years. Bianca is also a sophomore nursing major at The College of New Jersey, where she is the crew chief on the Tuesday night EMS crew. Bianca has donated much of her time to helping others in emergency situations, however her calm and swift decisions on July 4, 2012, are commendable and worthy of recognition.

Bianca used her lifesaving skills on July 4, 2012 to save her father's (Stefan) life. Stefan, who is a cyclist, had just returned from his morning ride and was in the driveway of our home when he called Bianca before collapsing. Bianca was home alone and ran outside to help; she called 911 and began treating Stefan for what was initially believed to be a seizure. While awaiting the arrival of the local police and Emergency Squad, Stefan went into cardiac arrest and Bianca began performing CPR. Upon the arrival of the police, Bianca then used their AED machine to deliver the shock that would restart my husband's heart. The ambulance crew arrived to find Stefan still unconscious, but breathing and with a pulse. Stefan spent 30+ hours on a ventilator in a medically induced coma under a cardiologist's care in the critical care unit. He then spent four days in the general cardiac unit before being sent home today, to continue with his rehabilitation and recuperation from heart surgery and a concussion.

The Cardiovascular team at the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute are amazed at Stefan's rapid recovery, and have praised Bianca for her swift and knowledgeable action. Not only did she save my husband's life, but Stefan is also expected to make a full recovery. Bianca attributes her lifesaving reaction as merely performing her role as "Daddy's little girl."

"I had to step up to the plate," she said, "and luckily EMS gave me the skills to do so."

Nominated by Marion Weber, Chatham, NJ

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