Students Shine
Student Spotlight: Savannah Crandall
Respiratory Therapy student Savannah Crandall was in the right place at the right time for a critical situation on the road.
Crandall lives in Hillsdale and works at Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall. Coming home one Saturday on M-99 between Homer and Litchfield, she noticed a woman flagging down traffic, asking if anyone had medical experience. Incredibly, Crandall saw a man lying on the road, and his wife called 911 for an ambulance. Another man had stopped and was redirecting traffic.
Crandall, certified in CPR, stopped to help. She felt for a pulse but found none and began chest compressions while the other man kept track of the time. She noticed his pulse was very faint a couple of times, but then it would go away. She continued doing compressions for about 10-15 minutes until the EMTs arrived.
As it turned out, the man had suffered a major heart attack, also referred to as a “widowmaker.” Crandall stayed with his wife and took her to Hillsdale Hospital. From there, the man was airlifted to St. Joseph Mercy. He had triple bypass surgery and is doing well as he recovers.
Her program required Crandall to take BLS – Basic Life Support – and she is happy she did! “I’ve done compressions at work when trauma comes in, but it was so different… being by myself, running a code on my own. Afterward, I was just kind of in shock, just shaking. Maybe I will get to help someone else one day, I’m glad that I have that ability.”