UBCO students save senior’s life
Murray Forbes is in his 70s, but always wanted to go back to school to earn an engineering degree. When he started his studies at UBC Okanagan, he frequently mentioned that being surrounded by young people was one of the greatest perks of being a mature student.
Little did he know, it would be a group of young UBCO students who would one day save his life.
The day started as any other. Forbes recalls parking in the student lot, grabbing his backpack and locking his car. He has no other memory of that day. Normally, he walks up a steep hill to campus and then uses a quiet entrance into a large building to get to class. But on that day — he doesn’t know why — he ended up in the courtyard in the centre of campus.
He was found unconscious and had suffered a massive heart attack.
First-year human kinetics student Marissa Burfield, a member of UBCO’s Emergency First Responder Team, was walking through the courtyard to meet fellow member Kim Davarani for breakfast.
“I could see people standing around a man lying on the ground,” Burfield said. “I couldn’t really believe it was happening, it was a bit of a shock … You can train so much, but once you’re in a situation, you don’t think — you just move.”
She introduced herself as a trained first responder and assessed the situation. At the same time, Davarani was answering a call for a suspected seizure in the courtyard. She rushed to where Forbes had fallen.
“I was relieved to find Marissa had taken control of the situation,” Davarani says, explaining she began checking for a pulse and signs of breathing. “People thought it was a seizure, but when I started taking the vitals and checking his circulation, I
realized this is no longer a seizure call.”
The EFRT is a volunteer organization that trains students in several levels of first aid. In return, members are expected to be on duty 12 hours a week during the academic year.
Other EFRT team members arrived on the scene after getting the call.
The students performed CPR for 22 minutes and used an automated external defibrillator twice to get the patient’s heart beating.
“I never imagined I would be using the skills I have to save a life. I am so thankful we have them,” said Morgan Tucker, the most senior member at the call.
Forbes would wake up days later in hospital. He received a pacemaker, new medication for his heart condition and several broken ribs, typical after CPR-related chest compressions. He is expected to make a full recovery.
A few weeks ago, Forbes and the students were reunited and the EFRT members were honoured with a letter of commendation by UBCO’s Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Lesley Cormack in a small ceremony.