Imagine that you are walking along a park path and turning a corner, you see someone lying on their stomach beside the path. Do you assume they are napping? Do you check to see if they are okay? Or do you walk on and avoid getting involved?
So often, people might be inclined to walk on, leaving that person to their own devices. Thankfully, this isn’t always the case. In early April at Trent University, several individuals outside the Trent Community Sport and Recreation Centre decided that they would get involved. A citizen had fallen in the parking lot by a vehicle and several individuals not only noticed but stopped to check on the person. They worked together to assist them by involving Trent staff, calling 911 and waiting for the ambulance to arrive. To some, this might not seem like a big effort but in fact it is, and a generous one at that; one that might very well have averted tragedy.
The president of Trent University agrees and he acknowledges these acts with an Everyday Hero letter. Gary Sunstrum, Amanda Tomlinson, Kelly Dziworoniak all received letters from Dr. Steven E. Franklin, as did Athletic Centre staff members Cassie Kent, Alyssa Heffernan and Kate Pearce.
The letter communicates to these heroes that their act hasn’t gone unnoticed, and that the Trent community is all the better for having them as contributing members. It serves as a reminder to those individuals and all who know them that being a member of a community means being present, helping out and not walking on.
Amanda Tomlinson, one of the Everyday Heroes from that date, is a student with the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing. She was able to put her training to good use to check the individual’s vital signs, make them more comfortable by placing them in the recovery position and providing support until the ambulance arrived. “It seemed like a jolt of adrenaline, and all my nursing skills, knowledge and experience kicked into action and all swirled together in my brain to direct me in the steps I had to take,” she said. When asked how she felt about receiving the acknowledgment, she said, “I was just at the right place at the right time to help. When I received the letter, I felt very privileged to be acknowledged by the president. I honestly didn't know what to say.”
Trent University knows what to say and in acknowledging these Everyday Heroes, Dr. Franklin reminds us all that generosity of spirit and action are important qualities that we are all glad to find in the Trent community.
Posted on Thursday, April 25, 2013.