I n t he K now
LI F E S T Y LE
Real Hero Ronny Tull By Jessica Pain
On August 2, 2012,
29-year-old Bellingham resident Ronny Tull was driving home from work when he saw a tow truck in the other lane suddenly slow down. When he looked over, he saw that the driver had slumped over. Immediately, Tull stopped his car and rushed to see if the man was stable. Tull checked the victim’s vital signs and asked him if he was okay. The victim gave no response, so Tull, a member of the U.S. National Guard, immediately began CPR. To pull the victim out of the vehicle, Tull performed a “fireman carry,” which enables someone to move a person who is bigger or heavier than him or her. In accordance with his training, Tull performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions on the 52-year-old victim, Jim Harris. Looking around for assistance, he saw a woman with her baby crossing the street. He got the woman’s attention and had her call 911. Until first responders arrived, he continued to perform CPR. Meanwhile, Bellingham resident Brian Barnes joined Tull in performing CPR. At this point, Harris had no pulse and was in full cardiac and respiratory arrest. A couple minutes later, paramedics with Whatcom Medic One arrived and placed Harris on a backboard. They connected him to a machine called LUCAS2, an electronically powered, life-saving medical device used to maintain circulation in cardiac arrest patients. Harris was then transported to St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. Harris stabilized and recovered. Tull said he is always on the lookout and aware of his surroundings. In this case, he said he just reacted when he saw the man collapse. “I knew CPR, and I knew what I was doing,” Tull said. “I just did everything I could to keep the victim alive until paramedics came to relieve me.” When someone goes into cardiac arrest they need medical attention immediately or the person usually dies in a matter of minutes. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 325,000 deaths each year. “Because I normally don’t take the Northwest Avenue route home after work, I feel I was lucky to have been there to help save his life,” Tull said. “It feels good to know something I did helped give him his life back.” The Mt. Baker Chapter of the American Red Cross recognized Tull with a Good Samaritan award in
December. Harris invited Tull to celebrate his 53rd birthday in November and offered him a huge thank-you for saving his life. “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles,” Tull said, quoting Christopher Reeve. “When people come across situations where someone is not breathing, it is important to do everything you can to save their life; every second makes a difference.”
Ronny Tull, left, with Jim Harris at the 15th Annual Real Heroes Celebration, which is hosted each December by the Mt. Baker Chapter of the American Red Cross.
April/May 2013
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