Wintergreen staff, bystanders honored as heroes for life-saving effort

A teacher and a school nurse have been honored as heroes for saving a life at Wintergreen Primary School last month.

The Board of Education on Monday recognized school nurse Shannon Lugo and P.E. teacher Brandon Hodges for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation after Christopher Brame collapsed Sept. 12 outside the school.

He was revived through the use of CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED), a medical device that can re-establish normal heart rhythm in those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

“Despite best efforts, many individuals who experience a cardiac event still do not survive,” School Nurse Manager Laurie Reed said, quoting American Heart Association statistics that indicate that only 10% to 12% of people who experience cardiac events outside of a hospital setting survive. “I am grateful to share at this time the efforts were successful and a life was saved.”

The board also recognized bystanders Gerald John Kosztur, a retired military medic, and volunteer firefighter Jason Byrd for assisting with the rescue effort. Neither they nor the Brame family were present for the meeting.

“Thank you to these individuals and others who may have been present to provide assistance for your heroic and unselfish acts that resulted in a profoundly impactful outcome for this community member,” Reed said.

District 8 representative Melinda Fagundus, a retired nurse practitioner, praised the effort and said the public acknowledgment could be beneficial.

“I think the more that that is out there in the public, people will understand how important it is to know how to do CPR as well as how important an AED is because an AED truly is the life-saver to have,” she said.