Bob Schmidt is ever grateful for Herzing University-Kenosha nursing student Brian Smallcombe, whose CPR training and quick thinking saved his life back in March. The 66-year old had been playing pickle ball with his wife when he suddenly collapsed, unconscious and not breathing. It appeared he had suffered a heart attack.
Brian Smallcombe quickly jumped into action, performing CPR and using an AED to restart Bob’s heart. "It was kind of like fate, I think, because I'm trained in CPR," he told Milwaukee’s TMJ-4 News. By the time paramedics arrived 20 minutes later, Bob was alert and breathing again.
Today, he’s doing fine and is back to playing pickle ball. “Life goes on,” he says.
“I’ve gained a lot of confidence from being in my BSN program, being in clinical and listening to my instructors give their testimonials of situations they’ve been in,” Smallcombe said after the incident. “It all came together for me in that moment.”
“Having an AED in every public place is a necessity,” he adds. “Having an AED is truly what saved Bob's life.”
On May 3, 2019, Smallcombe received a proclamation from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett for his life-saving actions. He will graduate from Herzing’s BSN program in December.
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