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Certificate of Merit Awarded to American Red Cross Volunteer  Susan Brown, a volunteer CPR Instructor with the American Red Cross of Gaston County received the prestigious Certificate of Merit Award on Sunday March 16, 2008. The award was presented to Ms. Brown at Mt. Zion Restoration Church by Mrs. Page Carver, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and Ms. Ann Holt, Health and Safety Services Director. Ms. Brown, a Patient Account Representative at Carolinas Medical Center, was working at her desk on September 26, 2007, when she heard a co-worker coughing forcefully. The co-worker was choking on a grape, and Brown provided a back blow that dislodged the grape and saved her co-worker’s life. Brown returned to her desk when another co-worker collapsed on the floor, semi-conscious. Again, Brown used her Red Cross training by opening the victim’s airway causing the victim to regain consciousness. Ms. Brown stayed with the victim until nurses from other parts of the building came and took over. Brown stated that she became a Red Cross CPR instructor in 2004 because we never know when an emergency would arise and people need to be prepared to respond. “When people take a Red Cross course, they learn how to recognize potentially life-threatening situations and are empowered to respond” says Brown. Ms. Brown was glad that she was trained to provide the care her co-workers needed and believes everyone should be trained, no matter where you work or who you are because the person you save might be a family member or a friend. The American Red Cross Certificate of Merit is the highest award given to an individual or team of individuals who saves or sustains a life by using skills learned in an American Red Cross Health and Safety Services course. The Certificate of Merit began in 1911 and bears the signature of the President of the United States, who traditionally serves as Honorary Chairman of the American Red Cross. About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross provides relief to victims of disasters at home and abroad, collects and distributes nearly half of the nation's blood supply, teaches lifesaving skills, and supports military members and families. The American Red Cross, a charity and not a government agency, depends on voluntary contributions of time, money and blood to perform its humanitarian mission.
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