During the Naperville City Council meeting on March 19, commendations by Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis came with plenty of lessons about quick thinking and local heroes.
For her heroic life-saving actions, Naperville resident Cheryl DuBois received the Fire Chief’s Citizen Award in recognition of her outstanding service to the community.
According to Naperville resident John Robbins, the story started on February 9 when his daughter, Whitney Robbins, age 38, and her two-year-old daughter were in her van with her mother, Jan Robbins, age 70.
They were parked in the parking lot of Home Goods in Springbrook Prairie Pavilion on 75th Street.
Jan went into congestive heart failure. Whitney immediately called 911 and the operator instructed her to pull in front of the store and get help.
Whitney ran inside the store and screamed for help. Everyone froze. She yelled again and explained, “Someone, please help! It’s my Mom.”
One woman and a man ran outside to assist. The gentleman helped get Jan out of the SUV and onto the side walk. The woman helped rip off Jan’s coat, saddled her and began CPR. There was no pulse. She continued and a moment later another women yelled, “I got a pulse.”
The ambulance arrived and the paramedic asked the woman to continue CPR until Jan was hooked up and on the gurney.
Jan was taken to the hospital where doctors told her family she would probably not live.
She was in intensive care for almost a week. She was given a blood transfusion and a triple by pass. One artery was 95 percent blocked. The other two arteries were 80 percent blocked. Still, she beat the odds.
Facebook post connects family with lifesaver
Whitney and her sister, Holly Ramsburg, wanted to find out who had saved their mother. Whitney sent out a query on Facebook and her story went viral. Several connections later a woman named Cheryl DuBois of Naperville wrote Whitney a letter.
In the letter DuBois wrote, “I never took a CPR class. When you yelled out and you said it was your Mom, I ran out to help. My Mom died when she was 58 and she was my best friend and I did not want someone else to lose their Mom.”
“When I put my hands over your Mom’s chest, I did not know what to do and a force came over me and took over my hands and began CPR,” DuBois wrote.
Soon after, Whitney talked to Cheryl on the phone. Days later, Cheryl came into Edward Hospital and met Jan, Holly and Whitney.
“Whitney’s quick thinking to call 911 and her running into the store to ask for help, the 911 operator who answered Whitney’s call, Cheryl, the two medics and the great nurses and doctors and staff at Edward Hospital made it happen,” added John Robbins. “Whitney and Holly have their Mom back.”
During Tuesday’s City Council Meeting, DuBois was awarded the Fire Chief’s Award with a large group of family, friends and neighbors in attendance to add to the applause and the standing ovation.
Emotions were high. Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis presented the award “for quick actions taken prior to Fire Department arrival in administering CPR to a cardiac arrest victim in the parking lot at 2539 W. 75th Street.”
After the meeting the Chief noted again how many people had thought quickly in a chain of events that saved a life. From the dispatcher to the Good Samaritans, family members had much to celebrate.
“You know, it’s really affected me,” said John Robbins. “Though Jan and I have been divorced for years, I realize how important it is for children to be in touch with their parents— and to let them know how much they mean to you. You just don’t know when you might not see them again. My girls were fortunate.”
To watch the March 19 City Council meeting stored in the archived events, visit www.naperville.il.us.
