Travel nurse Jivy Gonzales saved the life of a man in Davis Bay by performing CPR — on his lunch break.
When Ed Kaczmarek suddenly went into cardiac arrest in Davis Bay on May 1, it turns out that not one but two registered nurses came to his rescue.
After Kaczmarek was transported to the hospital, his daughters have been trying to piece together the events of that day to thank his saviours.
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place on May 6 when Gonzales got in touch with the family as the man who initially performed CPR on Kaczmarek. Gonzales is a travel nurse who started working at the Sechelt Hospital on April 21, just 10 days earlier.
On May 1, Gonzales was on his lunch break and walking toward Kaczmarek when it looked like Kaczmarek tripped. When he realized the man was not getting back up, Gonzales ran over. Kaczmarek was unconscious. He was not breathing and Gonzales could not find a pulse. The nurse turned Kaczmarek over to begin CPR and a nearby woman called 911.
A second nurse, Aili Dawson, happened to come upon the scene while driving home. She joined the effort to help Kaczmarek, encouraging him and Gonzales.
The paramedics came and Gonzales was able to take a break. He said he was exhausted from performing CPR.
Kaczmarek is now in the hospital awaiting surgery, and his family is grateful to everyone who helped save his life. Once he’s able to return home, Kaczmarek wants to meet everyone to say thank you.
Gonzales heard the family was looking for him through a Facebook group of Canadian travel nurses, who got wind of the story. “We have a big connection among all the nurses,” he chuckled. Though Gonzales admits he’s shy by nature, he responded to the family’s quest for answers.
“Realizing that it’s part of the story and it will never be complete because there’s one link missing” drove Gonzales to share his experience of saving a life outside of a hospital setting. He wants others to prepare themselves to perform CPR, too. It can make a crucial difference by keeping the blood supply and oxygen flowing to the brain, and increases the chance of survival, he said.
He’d been thinking about the man he helped, and was relieved to hear he had survived. “My prayer was answered. That’s good enough for me.”
As for Gonzales, though his contract at Sechelt Hospital is up at the start of June, he already plans to return to the Sunshine Coast. It’s been an eventful first visit.
