Three Deerfield Elementary School staff members and a handy piece of medical technology are being credited with saving the life of a school worker.
When Robert Sheehy suffered a heart attack Monday morning, school nurse Tricia DeAngelis, psychologist Matt Kuklentz and cafeteria worker Genny Smith quickly reacted and restarted the custodian's heart.
"I'm very proud of them and happy to work in a place were people respond quickly and calmly" to such a serious incident, said Principal Allan Cameron.
Sheehy was working in the cafeteria around 11:15 when Smith saw him fall.
Smith said that when she asked Sheehy if he was OK, he didn't answer. After briefly trying to revive the man, who is in his 50s, Smith yelled for help.
Kuklentz and DeAngelis responded immediately. The two performed CPR on Sheehy. As a nurse, DeAngelis is trained in revival techniques, and Kuklentz was a CPR trainer at a previous job.
"(Training) takes over before everything else," she said.
Kuklentz said there was also some adrenaline involved, though everyone remained calm.
The two gave CPR to Sheehy for about a minute, DeAngelis said. When he remained unresponsive, they turned to the school's defibrillator.
The portable electronic devices, designed for lay people to use in emergencies, shock cardiac victims after automatically assessing the person's status. For safety purposes, such defibrillators only work if they don't detect a heartbeat.
The device, one of which has been in each of Westwood's schools for three years, was easy to use, said Kuklentz.
"These two brought him back to life," Smith said, pointing to DeAngelis and Kuklentz and clutching her heart, "and I was so happy."
DeAngelis said the defibrillator saved Sheehy's life. Cameron said hospital workers confirmed that.
DeAngelis said Kuklentz's willingness to assist and Smith's fast action were essential in saving Sheehy.
"Everyone acted calmly, quickly, appropriately," said Cameron. "They did an outstanding job."
Luckily, Cameron said, there were no students around during the incident. Teachers kept students in their classrooms during the half-hour ordeal.
By the time EMTs arrived, Sheehy was responsive.
Cameron, who later visited Sheehy at Caritas Norwood Hospital, said Sheehy only complained of pain in his thigh and his ribs.
"I'm just so happy he's with us," Smith said, thanking God several times that people were in the right places at the right time to help the man she calls Mr. Bob.
Smith said she has recently been on Sheehy's case to stop smoking.
"Maybe now he'll stop," she said.
Right before calling for help, Smith said she pushed down on Sheehy's chest once and even tried to wake him up by pouring water over his head.
"I can't wait to see him to tell him I threw water on him," she said.
