NURSE IN RIGHT PLACE AT RIGHT TIME; HELPS COLLEGE STUDENT HIT BY SEIZURE

Gerri Lawson's alert, calm and professional response to a medical crisis last week, might well have saved a young man from permanent brain damage after he suffered a seizure in a Cape Girardeau deli.

Lawson, a licensed practical nurse who works at the Cottonwood Treatment Center on North Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau, was in the Spanky's Texaco station and deli across from the center last Monday when Doug Hancock, another customer in the store, had a seizure.

"I was sitting at the table taking my break, when I heard a voice say, `Doug, are you okay?'" Lawson said Thursday. "I turned around to see what was wrong and the guy had fallen to the floor and was having a seizure. His whole body was convulsing terribly."

Although there were seven or eight people in the store, Lawson was the first to react. She quickly went to the victim's aid.

Katrina Baker, the store supervisor who was working at the time, said she and a co-worker were too stunned to respond.

"I've never seen anything like it before," Baker said. "Both me and my co-worker had no idea what to do. We were pretty well freaked out."

Baker said she was thankful that Lawson was in the store.

"She came over and helped him out and had us call 911," she said. "She took care of him and kept him calm until the ambulance arrived."

Baker wasn't the only one grateful to Lawson for her prompt help. Hancock said Friday he "most definitely" appreciated the nurse's help.

Hancock, 19, just completed his sophomore year at Southeast Missouri State University. The Jackson native is studying mechanical engineering.

Hancock said he went into the Spanky's store with a friend who talked him into playing a video game. He said the flashing figures on the game's screen "blinded" him.

"I backed away from the game and that's the last thing I remember before the ambulance got there," he said. "I remembered a little later that I was fighting off the ambulance drivers when they got there.

"I don't know why; I guess I was just disoriented and didn't know what had happened."

Lawson said when she saw what had happened she reacted instinctively.

"There were about seven or eight people in the store, but no one to help me," she said. "They were just struck by the whole thing.

"The seizure lasted about eight minutes and I finally had to tell (the store clerks) to please call 911 because they were so stupefied by the whole thing."

Lawson said that when the seizure ended, Hancock apparently stopped breathing and began to turn blue.

"When he started turning blue and wasn't breathing, I didn't know if I was going to make it or not," she said. "When he stopped breathing, we (in the store) did too."

But Hancock resumed breathing after Lawson cleared his mouth and tilted his head backward, opening his airway.

Linda Heitman, clinical nurse specialist at Southeast Hospital, said it was a good thing Lawson responded and was able to restore Hancock's breathing when she did.

"The urgency and necessity to act promptly is critical," Heitman said. "Without air, the brain can't withstand more than three to five minutes without there being irreversible brain damage."

Heitman said the incident is a good example of why it's important for all people to have some knowledge of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). She said CPR certification is easy and readily available almost anywhere.

"You should be certified and you can be in most any community," Heitman said. "It can be a benefit in any number of cases to know how to do simple resuscitation."

She said that resuscitation often can be simple and easy, but without prompt, knowledgeable action the potential for life-long damage is great.

Lawson said the experience left her drained, physically and emotionally.

"I got a few bruises from it, but I think it was well worth it," she said. "I did fine until after it was over with and I sat down to have a cigarette. I couldn't even smoke it because I was shaking so bad."

Ironically, Monday's incident was the second time Lawson has used her medical training in an emergency.

The nurse, who's lived in Cape Girardeau for the past 35 years, also came to the aid of a women about 15 years ago who had a heart attack in the parking lot of "fast-food" restaurant.

"You're always kind of leery about whether you should help or not, but that's what I'm trained to do and you just automatically react," she said.

Lawson said she doesn't really think of herself as a hero for helping the man. She said if a similar situation happened tomorrow, she would react the same.

"I went home that night and was talking to my husband about it," she said. "I was very tired, but he gave me a hug and kissed me and said he was proud of me. I felt like a hero then."

Hancock likely won't dispute Lawson's husband. He is awaiting the results of tests that were taken at the hospital following the incident, but, regardless of the results, he considers himself fortunate to have had her help last week.